Brett Kavanaugh touted his record as a women's advocate, but not a single female lawmaker wrote him a recommendation

The White House has released its list of references vouching for President Trump's Supreme Court nominee, Judge Brett Kavanaugh, with statements of approval coming from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), and more. The 32-name list contains members of both the House and the Senate, with one glaring omission — it doesn't contain a recommendation from a single woman, the president of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, Vanita Gupta, observed.

The omission of any women to vouch for Kavanaugh is at odds with his nomination speech, which he used to highlight himself as an advocate for women, Newsweek points out. "I teach that the Constitution's separation of powers protects individual liberty, and I remain grateful to the dean who hired me, Justice Elena Kagan," he said. "As a judge, I hire four law clerks each year. I look for the best. My law clerks come from diverse backgrounds and points of view. I am proud that a majority of my law clerks have been women." Kavanaugh also made reference to his mother, his wife, and his two daughters, Margaret and Liza.

Kavanaugh would replace retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy, a conservative swing vote. Activists on both sides are watching closely for if Kavanaugh might help overturn Roe v. Wade. Two of the Senate's key votes are both Republican women — Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) — and both have promised a "careful" vetting of Kavanaugh, rather than immediately signing on. Read the full list of lawmakers who have given their support for Kavanaugh here.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up