BREAKING: Religious Liberty Advocates React to Supreme Court Pick

Washington, DC–President Trump on Monday night made his highly-anticipated announcement of his choice to fill the seat of retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy. 
 
President Trump has selected Judge Brett Kavanaugh of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.  The announcement is sure to ignite a firestorm in an already hotly-contested confirmation process, since Kavanaugh worked for Ken Starr on Bill Clinton’s impeachment and later worked closely with President George W. Bush.

Judge Kavanaugh handed a victory to Pacific Justice Institute (PJI) in a case where PJI defended prayer at presidential inaugurations.  PJI represented Dr. Rick Warren and Dr. Joseph Lowery, Jr., who had been named as defendants by the atheists challenging the prayers.  While the panel sided with PJI on standing grounds, Judge Kavanaugh said he would have gone even further and upheld the prayers on the merits.
 
Judge Kavanaugh has a mixed record on pro-life issues.  In 2006, he stated that he would uphold Roe v. Wade, and he ruled against a pro-life protestor in front of the White House.  But he also sided with opponents of the contraceptive coverage mandate in Obamacare, and he voted to deny an abortion to a minor in federal immigration custody.
 
Brad Dacus, president of PJI, commented, “We found Judge Kavanaugh to be fair and faithful to the Constitution in our inauguration prayer case.  At the same time, there are important unanswered questions about his jurisprudence in other areas.  We look forward to a rigorous confirmation process that will hopefully assure us President Trump has kept his promise to appoint Justices who interpret the Constitution as written and not as they wish it to be.”