20 Maine organizations sign letter urging Sen. Collins to reject Dunlap appointment to First Circuit Court
Dunlap has long opposed and worked against reproductive and LGBTQIA+ rights, separation of church and state, climate justice, voting rights and more
(Portland, MAINE) – On the heels of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee’s advancing the nomination of Joshua Dunlap to serve on the U.S. First Circuit Court of Appeals, 20 organizations in Maine sent a letter to United States Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) urging her to withdraw her support for Dunlap’s appointment.
Signatories of the letter included organizations representing a diverse range of issue areas from health care to LGBTQIA+ to environmental rights, all urging Sen. Collins to reject Dunlap’s nomination. Sen. Collins introduced Dunlap to the Judiciary committee in Washington, D.C. following his nomination by President Donald Trump earlier this year. In their letter, organizations cited his record of opposing reproductive freedom, marriage equality, economic and climate justice, separation of church and state, and the will of Maine voters.
“Judges are appointed for life and shape laws for generations,” the letter reads. “They must be fair, independent, qualified, and representative of our communities. We fear that Mr. Dunlap’s record demonstrates an inability to fairly and impartially decide matters involving reproductive and LGBTQIA+ rights, separation of church and state, economic justice, climate justice, consumers, and voting rights.”
In addition to the letter sent to Sen. Collins’ office Thursday, EqualityMaine, Maine Women’s Lobby, Our Power and Planned Parenthood of Northern New England held a press conference this morning outlining Dunlap’s history of opposing basic rights and freedoms and again urging Collins to revoke her support and to vote against Dunlap’s appointment.
The press conference comes after news last night that the First Circuit Court of Appeals allowed the “defund” provision in the federal budget reconciliation law targeting Planned Parenthood to take effect while a challenge to that provision moves through the courts.
Statement from Lisa Margulies, Vice President of Public Affairs, Planned Parenthood of Northern New England
“The duty of judges to be fair, impartial arbiters is essential for a healthy democracy. Shaping laws that impact the lives of so many for generations is a momentous responsibility. The weight and power of this responsibility demands scrutiny of the candidates nominated.
At Planned Parenthood of Northern New England, we are continuing to weather the storm of attacks at the state and federal levels – including the Congressional “defund” that prohibits patients insured by Medicaid from using their insurance at Planned Parenthood health centers. While Planned Parenthood of Northern New England continues to offer the highest quality care to anyone who needs it, these attacks threaten Mainers’ access to care, from birth control to cancer screenings to abortion care. And they further imperil Maine’s already fragile health care infrastructure. Right now, it is more essential than ever that the courts serve as a neutral arbiter, and that they maintain the ability to make decisions without bias or prejudice. Mr. Dunlap’s record indicates he is not able to do that.”
Statement from Gia Drew, Executive Director, EqualityMaine
“We believe Joshua Dunlap would be a disastrous First Circuit Court judge. He has consistently taken positions that are not aligned with values that the majority of Mainers believe in and have voted for. His actions and words indicate that he would rule against non discrimination protections for LGBTQ+ people and roll back marriage equality, raising serious concerns about his fitness to serve on the First Circuit Court of Appeals. By advocating for unchecked religious freedom at the expense of human rights, Dunlap has made clear that he prioritizes ideology over equality and justice.”
Statement from Lily Bohen James, Advocacy Coordinator, Maine Women’s Lobby
“Representation matters. Federal judges make decisions every day about things that fundamentally affect our lives – from our ability to access life-saving healthcare, to ensuring everyone has equal and fair access to the ability to vote. Especially in this moment when we are seeing the key role that the Judiciary, courts and individual judges play in upholding democratic principles and constitutional rights in our fragile democracy, we must be prioritizing appointing new judges we are confident can be fair, independent and representative.”
Statement from Seth Berry, Executive Director, Our Power
“Joshua Dunlap has built his career on selling out his Maine neighbors. He helped big utilities to overturn the will of Maine voters; defended big pharma’s deceptive opioid marketing that killed our Maine neighbors; defended big oil’s greenwashing and climate deception, and sided with big banks when they were accused of predatory foreclosures on the homes of struggling Maine people.
“The pattern is clear. If confirmed, Joshua Dunlap will be a blank check for corporate oligarchy. U.S. Senators who support him will sign the check, but the bills will be paid by Maine people.”
Statement from Aspen Ruhlin, Community Engagement Manager, Mabel Wadsworth Center
“We at Mabel Wadsworth Center urge Maine’s Senators to stand firmly with the values of the people they represent by opposing Joshua Dunlap in his nomination to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit. Mainers have made it clear that abortion access, voting rights, LGBTQ+ rights, and more are deeply held Maine values that Dunlap’s nomination directly contradicts. In his role as a corporate lawyer, Dunlap has sought to erode anti-discrimination laws, attacked Ranked Choice Voting in Maine, attempted to enact his extremist anti-abortion views on our state, and even challenged Maine’s “right to repair” law. It is clear that across the spectrum of issues, this nominee would act against the best interest of Mainers and is not fit to serve as a lifetime federal judge.”
Nick Janzen, Director of Policy & Partnerships for Maine Conservation Voters
“We stand with our colleagues in firm opposition to the nomination of Joshua Dunlap to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. Mr. Dunlap has a track record of undermining and opposing the will of Maine people, working in 2018 to block ranked-choice voting and defy the majority of Maine voters who approved the measure. These attempts to stymie the voting rights of Maine people demonstrate that his extreme views render him unable to deliver fair, impartial rulings and unfit for a lifetime appointment as a federal judge.”
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Planned Parenthood of Northern New England is the largest provider of sexual and reproductive health care across Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. In FY24, PPNNE provided care to more than 32,000 patients for more than 47,000 visits. There are 14 health centers across the region, including 4 in Maine. PPNNE was named a 2021 and 2022 Guardian of Excellence Award® winner by Press Ganey, the national leader in health care consumer and workforce engagement. Press Ganey recognizes PPNNE as a top-performing health care organization, achieving the 95th percentile or above for performance in patient experience.