National Council Of Churches Calls For Brett Kavanaugh's Withdrawal

The National Council of Churches  called for the withdrawal of Brett Kavanaugh ’s Supreme Court nomination on Wednesday, citing his behavior during last week’s Senate hearing and his “political record.”

“We believe he has disqualified himself from this lifetime appointment and must step aside immediately,” the Washington-based council said in a statement .

According to its website, the organization represents over 40 million people and 38 Christian denominations.

During his Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, the council wrote, “Judge Kavanaugh exhibited extreme partisan bias and disrespect towards certain members of the committee and thereby demonstrated that he possesses neither the temperament nor the character essential for a member of the highest court in our nation.”

The council also accused Kavanaugh of lying under oath.

“In addition, his testimony before the Judiciary Committee included several misstatements and some outright falsehoods,” it said. 

The council didn’t list any specific lies, but several comments Kavanaugh made at the hearing don’t add up .

The nominee claimed that he “never attended a gathering like the one Dr. Ford describes in her allegation.” However, the calendars he presented in his defense clearly showed that Kavanaugh had scheduled gatherings strikingly similar to the one that accuser Christine Blasey Ford described.

He also claimed he never drank beer “to the point of blacking out.” Others who knew him in high school and college have described Kavanaugh back then as a heavy and frequent drinker.

In its statement Wednesday, the National Council of Churches also pointed to Kavanaugh’s professional history as a matter of concern.

“Judge Kavanaugh’s extensive judicial and political record is troubling with regard to issues of voting rights, racial and gender justice, health care, the rights of people with disabilities, and environmental protections,” the council said. “This leads us to believe that he cannot be an impartial justice in cases that are sure to come before him at the [Supreme] Court.”

Last week, America Magazine also called for Kavanaugh’s withdrawal, rescinding its previous endorsement of the nominee. The national magazine is published by Jesuits, a Catholic religious order for men also known as the Society of Jesus.