Senator Lankford Supports Judge Kavanaugh to be Supreme Court Justice

WASHINGTON, DC – Senator James Lankford (R-OK) today issued the following statement on his support for Judge Brett Kavanaugh to be Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court. The nomination of Judge Kavanaugh passed the Senate by a vote of 50-48.

“I support Judge Kavanaugh to be the next Associate Justice of the US Supreme Court,” said Lankford. “Judge Kavanaugh is qualified to serve on the Supreme Court. I made it my priority to read his judicial opinions, understand his legal perspectives, and get to know him as a person. He has a strong record as a judge on the DC Circuit Court, and he has served his legal and local community well through his instruction at reputable law schools, service to the homeless, mentorship of young law clerks, and as a coach of his daughter’s basketball team.

“On July 9, 2018, he started what he thought would be a typical nomination process for a Supreme Court Justice. He met with Senators one-on-one, testified for three days in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and submitted more than 480,000 documents including from his previous time in the White House. The Judiciary Committee conducted a diligent investigation in light of several additional allegations against Judge Kavanaugh and neither they or the FBI was able to find evidence to support the multiple accusations against him.

“I spent 22 years in youth ministry working with students and families. There is no question in my mind about the hurt, the pain, and the fear of those who have endured sexual assault. People need to be believed and taken seriously. When information comes out, we have to make decisions based on the facts in front of us. I pray for our nation as we heal from this difficult time.”

In Judge Kavanaugh’s seventh background investigation, the FBI interviewed the 10 people with alleged firsthand knowledge of the allegations. He has now had more than 150 people interviewed by the FBI over the past 25 years.

Lankford spoke on the Senate floor on Thursday in support of Judge Kavanaugh after reviewing the FBI’s seventh background check and highlighting how the nation should move forward from this painful, political time. Lankford also released an episode of his podcast, “The Breakdown with James Lankford,” to discuss Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination process. In August, Lankford met with Judge Kavanaugh in his office.

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