Dear Senator:

The League of Conservation Voters (LCV) works to turn environmental values into national, state and local priorities. Each year, LCV publishes the National Environmental Scorecard, which details the voting records of members of Congress on environmental legislation. The Scorecard is distributed to LCV members, concerned voters nationwide, and the media.

We urge you to oppose the nomination of Senator Jeff Sessions for Attorney General of the United States. The Attorney General is responsible for defending and enforcing laws that ensure justice, safety, health and wellness for all Americans. This prodigious responsibility must be carried out by an individual with a proven track record of fairness, tolerance and judgment. In more than 30 years of public service, Senator Sessions has shown the American people he is not up to this task.

Senator Sessions publicly denies the overwhelming scientific evidence that climate change is real and caused by human activity.  Indeed, he has claimed carbon pollution is “plant food” that does no harm. His overall environmental record has been dismal since he entered the Senate in 1997, earning him a 7% lifetime score on LCV’s National Environmental Scorecard. He has repeatedly questioned the need for safeguards from the Environmental Protection Agency, calling them unwarranted.

When it comes to civil rights and voter access, Senator Sessions’ record is similarly disqualifying. In 1986, a Republican-controlled Senate rejected him for a federal judgeship over concerns about prejudice and overt racism. He has referred to the Voting Rights Act as “a piece of intrusive legislation,” supported the Supreme Court’s Shelby County vs. Holder decision that gutted the law, and has spent decades supporting strict voter ID laws that restrict access to the ballot and prosecuting voter fraud, even though there is very little evidence that wide-scale fraud is an issue.   

Senator Sessions’ record makes it clear that he will not be an arbiter of justice and truth for all Americans. For these reasons, we urge you to oppose the nomination of Senator Jeff Session for Attorney General. We will strongly consider including this confirmation vote in the 2017 Scorecard. If you need more information, please call my office at (202) 785-8683 and ask to speak with a member of our government relations team. 

Sincerely,

Gene Karpinski
President