WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today made this statement after the committee voted to block Sarah Netburn’s nomination to be a U.S. District Court Judge for the Southern District of New York.
Her nomination failed by a vote of 10-11. Ten committee Democrats voted in favor and one committee Democrat joined all Republicans in voting no.
“The Senate Judiciary Committee rightly rejected the nomination of Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn to be a U.S. District Court Judge in the Southern District of New York. This was the first bipartisan rejection by committee vote of a radical judge sent to the committee by the Biden Administration.
“Magistrate Netburn recommended the transfer of a 6’2” biological male – who was a convicted serial child sex offender – to a female prison after the inmate decided to transition to a woman at the age of 51. The Bureau of Prisons objected to this transfer, but Judge Netburn believed that there was nothing more than a theoretical risk to female inmates if this biological male inmate was transferred to a women’s prison.
“The committee received over a hundred letters from women’s rights groups and individuals—including female prisoners—objecting to having this biological male housed in a female prison.
“Yesterday, media reports indicated that the inmate in question has exposed his male genitalia to female prisoners. All of the concerns expressed by Republicans on the committee have come true.
“Finally, while the committee voted this nominee down, all but one Democrat voted to move forward. I hope the American people are watching what’s going on when it comes to the Democratic agenda.
“Female prisoners being housed with biological males is an affront to safety and common sense, and it needs to stop.”
Watch the video of Graham’s statement after the vote HERE.
Background on the Netburn nomination:
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