Jeff Sessions for Attorney General

Courtesy of Indivisible D/FW TX & @TheeMattOliver

Ted Cruz DC Office – 202 224-5922/Dallas  Office –214 599-8749/Austin  Office – 512 916-5834

John Cornyn DC Office – 202 224-2934/Dallas Office – 972 239-1310/Austin Office – 512 469-6034

Script

Short version:

I am calling to voice my concerns and urge you to vote “NO” in the selection of Senator Jeff Sessions as Attorney General, and urge you to block his appointment to the Justice Department. Sessions has a long record of racial insensitivity, bias against immigrants, disregard for the rule of law and hostility to the protection of civil rights that makes him unfit to serve as the attorney general of the United States.

During his time as a Public Servant in both Alabama and in the US Senate, Jeff Sessions has repeatedly shown he is AGAINST Basic Human Rights. How can we confidently expect him to lead the Department of Justice that is tasked to champion the rights of the People as the “People’s Lawyer”?

Long version / email:

Hi, my name is ______ a constituent from (___).

I’m calling today to voice my strong opposition to the nomination of Jeff Sessions for Attorney General.

Jeff Sessions supports and encourages voter suppression against blacks, women, and the LGBTQ community. Sessions actively pursued voter suppression against black activists in Alabama and lost.

(more background from New York Times)

As Attorney General, he will try to make racist voter suppression the law of the land, and the American people will not accept this.

If the Senator does not block or call for a new confirmation hearing for Jeff Sessions, he will never live this down.

We–his constituents–are appalled at the idea that a party in an ostensible democracy unabashedly pursues policies that will let fewer people vote.

The ideological armature of a massive, national policy of voter suppression is unacceptable to us.

You have already seen the millions of us march against the illegitimacy of this president, a fascist demagogue who makes preposterous, abominable, debunked, pernicious, racist claims that “millions of illegals” made him lose the popular vote. Unsurprisingly, the New York Times called it just what it was — a lie.

You have already seen what happens when an Attorney General tries to protect the Constitution, in Sally Yates’ enforcement of the Constitutional laws of this country over Trump’s unconstitutional and morally outrageous Muslim ban—the American people saw what happened to her. She stood up for the Constitution in the face of an illegal, needless and un American religious test, and was immediately fired.

Does the Senator really want to put his weight behind an AG who won’t do his job when he has to tell the President that he is breaking the law? This president is already in violation of the Constitution, in accepting bribes from foreign governments. He has already actively colluded with a foreign power to undermine our democracy, and the NSC has been taken over by a white supremacist in Steve Bannon. It is absolutely imperative that our Attorney General be able to do his duty and protect the Constitution, not kowtow to a corrupt billionaire out to use the presidency for his own personal enrichment.

Ironically, Sessions himself asked Sally Yates if she would uphold the Constitution and be able to stand up to the President when called to do so. Her answer was an unwavering “Yes.”

(Sally Yates / Jeff Sessions video clip)

Sessions hemmed and hawed and waffled on the same question. He is not prepared to work on behalf of all Americans–only a few billionaires.

A vote for Sessions will send a clear message to the American people: the Senator is in favor of blatant corruption, perverting the Constitution, and outright disregard for human decency. Jeff Sessions is unfit to serve as Attorney General.

 

Background and Research

Pre-Senate

In 1986, while serving as US Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama, President Regan nominated Sessions to be a Judge on the US District Court for the Southern District of Alabama. His nomination was opposed by the NAACP, Leadership Conference on Civil Rights and People for the American Way.

During his Confirmation Hearing

  • 4 Department of Justice Atty’s testified he made racially offensive remarks
    • Gerald Herbert – Civil Rights Atty – testified that Sessions referred to NAACP and ACLU an “UnAmerican” & “Communist Inspired”…they did more harm than good by trying to force civil rights “down the throats of people
    • Herbert also testified that Sessions said a white civil rights atty “may be a disgrace to his race” (Sessions did not recall that comment)
    • Thomas Figures – Civil Rights Atty – testified that Sessions thought the KKK was “OK, until I found out they smoked pot”. (Sessions said the comment wasn’t serious, but apologized saying KKK is a force for hatred & bigotry)
  • Ultimately, his nomination was withdrawn in July, 1986. Conclusion being there were “reasonable doubts” over Sessions ability to be “fair and impartial”.
  • He became only the 2nd Nominee to Federal Judiciary in 48 yrs whose nomination was killed by the Senate Judiciary Committee
  • Session commented that the Senate, on occasion, had been insensitive to the rights and reputation of nominees.

Racial Insensitivity

Senator Sessions has served on the Senate Judiciary Committee since 2009. During this time, he has criticized judicial nominees with “civil rights backgrounds” for having the “ACLU Gene”.

  • 2009 – Sonia Sotomayor – Opposed her nomination to Supreme Court
  • 2010 – Complained on Senate Floor that President Obama was nominating judges with the “ACLU DNA” and the “ACLU Chromosome”
  • 2010 – Elena Kagan – Opposed her nomination to Supreme Court
  • 2011 – Criticized Judge Ed Chen’s Appointment for Federal District Court for Northern District of California
  • 2015 – Loretta Lynch – Voted Against her Confirmation as Attorney General

Bias Against Immigrants

  • 2013 – Voted Against Border Security, Economic Opportunity & Immigration Modernization Act
    • After losing the vote, Sessions wrote & published “Immigration Handbook for New Republican Majority. He gave it to his associates in the House to help them defeat the bill in the House.
  • 2015 – Voted FOR Stop Sanctuary Policies and Protect Americans Act
    • Act prohibited sanctuary jurisdictions from receiving federal grant money
    • Act hold sanctuary jurisdictions accountable for defying Federal law, to increase penalties for individuals who illegally reenter the US after being removed, and to provide liability protection for State and local law enforcement who cooperate with Fed Law enforcement and for other purposes.

Hostility to the Protection of Civil Rights

  • 2005 – Voted Against a Senate Amendment to a House Bill that prohibited cruel, inhumane or degrading treat or punishment of individuals in custody of US Gov’t (Only Senator out of 10 to Vote Against)
  • 2006 – Voted Against Same Sex Marriage (marriage is b/t Man & Women)
  • 2006 – Voted FOR Voting Rights Act of 1965
    • 2013 – Calls it “Intrusive Legislation”; Argues Section 5 of the Act protects mostly Southern States & VRA should be struck down
    • 2014 – He can no longer support legislation that singles out certain states for supervision based on their history of discriminating against minority voters
  • 2009 – Voted Against Matthew Shepard & James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act
    • This act expanded Hate Crime Legislation – Based on Gender, Perceived Gender, Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Disability
    • Feels laws like this “cheapen the civil rights movement”
  • 2009 – Voted Against Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act
    • Amended the Civil Rights Act of 1964 – Ensure Statute of Limitations does not unfairly bar claims of pay disparity based on Gender
  • 2009 – Voted Against the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
  • 2010 – Voted Against the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010
  • 2010 – Voted Against Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Repeal Act of 2010
  • Regarding Appointment of a Gay Supreme Court Justice – “I do not think that a person who acknowledges that they have gay tendencies is disqualified, per se, for the job” but “that would be a big concern that the American people might feel – might feel uneasy about that”