Sheldon Whitehouse Questions Trump Judge Nominee Joshua Dunlap on Same-Sex Marriage Stance

Questioning Nominee Joshua Dunlap

• 🎯 Senator Sheldon Whitehouse questioned Joshua D. Dunlap, a nominee for United States Circuit Judge for the First Circuit, regarding his past activities related to same-sex marriage.
• ❓ Whitehouse pressed Dunlap on whether he was active against a ballot initiative to legalize same-sex marriage in Maine.

Dunlap's Stance on Same-Sex Marriage

• ✍️ Dunlap stated he published an op-ed expressing disagreement with the theft of political signs during the campaign, not active participation in the anti-same-sex marriage initiative.
• 🗣️ He acknowledged taking a public position that allowing gay marriage would affect First Amendment rights, specifically freedom of speech and free exercise of religion.

Support for Wrongful Death Statute

• ⚖️ Dunlap also supported a Maine bill allowing a wrongful death cause of action for the death of an unborn child.
• 🚫 He asserted that this statute, which exists in other New England states, would not apply in the context of abortion and has not affected abortion rights elsewhere.

Law School Internship and Views

• 🏢 Dunlap interned for a nonprofit organization as a Blackstone fellow, which opposes women's reproductive rights, marriage equality, and LGBTQ+ adoption rights.
• ✅ He confirmed that he applied for and chose this internship with the organization, stating it was his choice and not forced.
• 🧐 Whitehouse questioned how Dunlap could claim no view on same-sex marriage when he interned for an organization that actively opposes it.