Article: Alito Confirmation to Take Heavy Toll on Civil Rights Gains

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"Today the U.S. Senate caved and voted for the confirmation of Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court. Forty two senators put up a good fight but, at the end of the day, it wasn 't enough to keep a serious threat to our rights and freedoms off our nation 's highest court.

With the exception of the Democrats on the Judiciary Committee and a few other senators, neither Republicans nor Democrats were willing to address Alito 's record of hostility to civil rights. Particularly troubling are the Republicans on the Judiciary Committee, and others who profess a commitment to principles respecting civil rights, who were unwilling even to question, much less challenge Alito 's views.

The American people deserve much better. Today our elected leaders abandoned their obligation to protect those most reliant on an independent judiciary. This is a bitter day that the civil rights community will long remember. We have no doubt that Alito 's confirmation will take a heavy toll on our nation 's hard-won civil rights gains. "

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The Leadership Conference on Civil Rights (LCCR) is the nation 's oldest, largest, and most diverse civil and human rights coalition. For more on Samuel Alito, visit www.saveourcourts.org For more information on LCCR visit www.civilrights.org