Progressive Groups Deliver Sleeping Bags, Demand Round-The-Clock Action On Judicial Nominees

WASHINGTON, D.C., December 10, 2024 – Today, progressive democracy groups, including People for the American Way, Progressive Change Campaign Committee, Alliance For Justice, Indivisible, and Stand Up America, descended on Capitol Hill to deliver sleeping bags to more than two dozen  Democratic Senators with an urgent message: Work late. Work weekends. Confirm every judge. With less than 10 judicial nominees that are or will be pending on the Senate calendar, including four powerful Court of Appeals nominees, now is the time to finish the work.

“Every vacancy that doesn’t get a Biden judge will be left for Trump to fill with a loyalist committed to dismantling our rights,” said Keith Thirion, interim co-president of Alliance for Justice. “There is no excuse not to confirm these well-qualified nominees, some of whom have been waiting over a year. There’s still time to finish every confirmation, including all four circuit court nominations, and we encourage Senate Democrats to dedicate every possible minute they can to finishing the job.”

“Senators must do everything they can to confirm all of President Biden’s highly-qualified judicial nominees pending on the calendar before year’s end to ensure our rights and freedoms are protected,” said People For the American Way President Svante Myrick. “Failing to confirm all of these nominees risks leaving the doors open to lifetime appointments of Trump judges who will undermine those rights and take our nation backward.”

“Senate Democrats need to really fight for our democracy and confirm all the outstanding judicial nominees. They have to do whatever it takes to ensure that Trump doesn’t get the chance to fill these critical seats with MAGA judges who will enable him to roll back our rights even further – power these extremists would hold for the rest of their lives,” said Andrew O’Neill, Legislative Director of Indivisible. Their constituents are counting on them to safeguard these seats on the bench, even if it means working all night or on the weekends.”

With four circuit court of appeals nominees, whose courts collectively serve more than 100 million people in 16 states, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Progressive leaders called on Senators to put in the long hours — staying in session through weekends and skipping the holiday recess if necessary — to confirm judicial nominees before Republicans and Trump return to power.