Pro-Life Groups Successfully Block Obama Nominee

As the Senate Judiciary Committee was set to vote on President Obama’s nomination of Steve Six to the Federal Appeal Court on Thursday, committee chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) issued a statement that the nomination would not be considered by the committee.

That move essentially scuttled Six’s nomination.

Operation Rescue was the first to express opposition to Six’s nomination, noting his interference in abortion investigations and his efforts to gag a District Court judge and bury incriminating evidence against Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri, which faces 107 criminal charges. On June 27, Operation Rescue called on Obama to withdraw Six’s nomination.

“Six repeatedly allowed his personal and political biases to influence his professional judgment, and that alone makes him unfit for the Federal Appeals Court,” says Operation Rescue President Troy Newman. “Today we are celebrating this victory for the cause of justice.”

The Associated Press reported that on Monday, Kansas Senators Pat Roberts and Jerry Moran sent a letter to Leahy asking him not to take up Six’s nomination. The AP also reported that Roberts has signaled initial approval, but later changed his position, issuing a statement opposing Six’s nomination. Both Roberts and Moran had issued earlier statements opposing Six.

Several other local and national pro-life and conservative groups also stepped in to oppose the nomination. “We want to thank everyone from around the nation that called and wrote their senator in opposition to the Six nomination,” says Newman. “This victory truly belongs to the grassroots who rose up to make their voices heard. It made all the difference.”