LOS ANGELES (Feb. 14, 2016) — Asian Americans Advancing Justice offers our condolences to the family of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, who passed away yesterday after serving for nearly three decades on the nation’s highest court.
As the final arbiter of the U.S. Constitution, the Supreme Court decides some of the most important issues facing us as a nation. We urge President Obama to promptly nominate a successor to the Court. We also demand that the Senate fulfill its duty and act swiftly to confirm a nomination by President Obama, as the role of the Supreme Court is too critical to allow a seat to remain vacant.
In addition, we strongly encourage the President to nominate an Asian American. Such a nomination would be historic as no Asian American has ever served on the U.S. Supreme Court, and it would build on President Obama’s strong record of nominating Asian Americans to serve on federal district and appellate courts.
Asian Americans Advancing Justice is a national affiliation of five leading organizations advocating for the civil and human rights of Asian Americans and other underserved communities to promote a fair and equitable society for all. The affiliation’s members are: Advancing Justice – AAJC (Washington, D.C.), Advancing Justice – Asian Law Caucus (San Francisco), Advancing Justice – Atlanta, Advancing Justice – Chicago, and Advancing Justice – Los Angeles.
