Dick Durbin Opposes Trump Judicial Nominees Joshua Divine and Christian Stevens

Concerns Regarding Joshua Divine Nomination

• ⚖️ Senator Dick Durbin expresses significant concerns about Joshua Divine, a nominee for federal judge, citing his lack of experience at 34 years old and recent law degree.
• 🗳️ Durbin highlights Divine's extreme positions, including arguing for literacy tests at the ballot box, a practice Durbin calls a "racist relic from the Jim Crow era."
• 🤰 Regarding reproductive rights, Divine is described as a "zealot for the anti-choice movement" and has challenged access to abortion drugs and undermined voter-codified abortion access.
• 🔬 Durbin also notes Divine's stance on abortion, which implies opposition to in vitro fertilization (IVF), a procedure Durbin personally values.

Objections to Christian Stevens Nomination

• 🏛️ Durbin is also troubled by the nomination of Judge Christian Stevens, particularly his response to questions about the January 6th insurrection.
• 🗣️ Stevens reportedly stated that calling January 6th an "insurrection" was a "legal conclusion" and inappropriate to comment on, which Durbin finds deeply concerning given the violence and its impact.
• ⚖️ Durbin criticizes Stevens for defending the 100-to-1 sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine in a law review article, a policy that disproportionately affected African-American communities.
• 📜 Durbin recalls his own efforts to address this disparity through the First Step Act, signed into law by President Trump.

Overall Judicial Philosophy and Vote

• ❌ Durbin argues that neither Divine nor Stevens have demonstrated the independence, integrity, and faithfulness to the Constitution required for lifetime federal judicial appointments.
• 🗳️ He states his intention to vote against both nominees and urges his colleagues to do the same, emphasizing the need for judges who protect fundamental rights.