DES MOINES – Justice Not Politics issued a response today to the disturbing question posed by The Family Leader and unsettling commitments made by GOP candidates running for Senate at the April 25 Family Leader forum.
Four GOP candidates were asked the following question at the forum by moderator Erick Erickson, “How do you set the criteria that you will use [to] block judges?” Three of the four candidates – Joni Ernst, Sam Clovis and Matt Whitaker – made unsettling commitments to block federal judge nominees who do not adhere to “biblical law.”
“The question posed at The Family Leader forum was out of line,” said Connie Ryan Terrell, Chairperson of Justice Not Politics and Executive Director of Interfaith Alliance of Iowa. “It is completely inappropriate for candidates to insist on inserting their particular religion into any part of government, especially our courts. It is disrespectful of our country’s heritage of religious freedom and disrespectful of the rights of those who hold a different religious belief, including no religion.”
Justice Not Politics (JNP) is a nonpartisan coalition of organizations and Iowans across the political spectrum, all who are committed to protecting Iowa’s courts and our system of merit selection and retention. JNP works through the power of a coalition, effectively demonstrating the importance of impartial courts in all areas of life and the broad support of Iowans in protecting our judicial system. For more information, visit justicenotpolitics.org.