Gun safety organization Giffords and judicial group Demand Justice plan to launch a joint ad campaign to pressure Republican senators to reject one of President TrumpDonald John TrumpTrumps light 97th annual National Christmas Tree Trump to hold campaign rally in Michigan ‘Don’t mess with Mama’: Pelosi’s daughter tweets support following press conference comments MORE‘s circuit court nominees.
The groups will run an ad campaign targeting GOP Sens. Susan CollinsSusan Margaret CollinsGiffords, Demand Justice to pressure GOP senators to reject Trump judicial pick Senate confirms eight Trump court picks in three days Lawmakers call for investigation into program meant to help student loan borrowers with disabilities MORE (Maine), John CornynJohn CornynGiffords, Demand Justice to pressure GOP senators to reject Trump judicial pick Push to investigate Bidens sets up potential for Senate turf war Pressure grows on House GOP leaders to hold line ahead of impeachment trial MORE (Texas), Joni ErnstJoni Kay ErnstGiffords, Demand Justice to pressure GOP senators to reject Trump judicial pick Democratic challenger to Joni Ernst releases ad depicting her as firing gun at him Republicans raise concerns over Trump pardoning service members MORE (Iowa), Cory GardnerCory Scott GardnerOvernight Health Care: House to vote next week on drug prices bill | Conway says Trump trying to find ‘balance’ on youth vaping | US spent trillion on hospitals in 2018 Giffords, Demand Justice to pressure GOP senators to reject Trump judicial pick Planned Parenthood targets GOP senators in seven-figure ad campaign MORE (Colo.) and Thom TillisThomas (Thom) Roland TillisOvernight Health Care: House to vote next week on drug prices bill | Conway says Trump trying to find ‘balance’ on youth vaping | US spent trillion on hospitals in 2018 Giffords, Demand Justice to pressure GOP senators to reject Trump judicial pick Planned Parenthood targets GOP senators in seven-figure ad campaign MORE (N.C.), all of whom are up for reelection in 2020, asking them to vote against Trump nominee Lawrence VanDyke.
A vote on VanDyke’s confirmation to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals is slated for next week.
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The ads, which particularly highlight VanDyke’s gun rights stances, will run on Facebook and Instagram starting Friday.
“This NRA mouthpiece shouldn’t be a judge. Vote no,” one of the ads will say, referring to the National Rifle Association.
There will also be advertisements customized with the name of each senator.
Christopher Kang, Demand Justice’s chief counsel, said in a statement that VanDyke “would use his lifetime judicial appointment to advance the NRA’s latest strategy — using our courts to strike down common-sense measures to prevent gun violence.”
“Senators cannot claim to be horrified by mass shootings and then vote for a judge who will reject any effort to address them,” Kang added.
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Giffords managing director Robin Lloyd said in the statement that “VanDyke’s pledged fealty to the gun lobby’s agenda disqualifies him from a lifetime judicial appointment.”
“If the Senate cares about ensuring that the people’s elected representatives retain the ability to craft solutions to the nation’s ongoing gun violence crisis, they must vote no on VanDyke,” Lloyd said.
National Republican Senatorial Committee spokesman Nathan Brand called the ads “stunts by far-left groups working for their big dollar donors, not the American people.”
“Left-wing special interests are desperate to obstruct a Republican U.S. Senate majority working to continue the best economic turnaround in U.S. history,” Brand said in a statement to The Hill.
Sen. Dianne FeinsteinDianne Emiel FeinsteinGiffords, Demand Justice to pressure GOP senators to reject Trump judicial pick Senate confirms Trump pick labeled ‘not qualified’ by American Bar Association Feinstein endorses Christy Smith for Katie Hill’s former House seat MORE (D-Calif.) has previously raised questions about VanDyke’s past statements on gun control, asking him about responses to a 2014 NRA questionnaire in which the senator said VanDyke answered that “Gun control laws are misdirected.”
Updated: 6:20 p.m.