Dear Senator:
On behalf of the AFL-CIO, I urge you to oppose the nomination of Daniel A. Bress to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. We have both procedural and substantive concerns about this nomination.
California Senators Feinstein and Harris oppose this nomination, and this fact alone should have prohibited the Senate Judiciary Committee from even considering Mr. Bress for a California seat on this Circuit. Both Senators have noted that Mr. Bress has minimal professional connections to the state—more than a decade ago, he practiced law there for only a year.
Furthermore, his record raises serious concerns about his ability to be objective, a key qualification for any judge. For example, Mr. Bress regularly has advocated for restricting access to justice by limiting the ability of workers and consumers to join and file class action lawsuits. Mr. Bress also has defended corporations from lawsuits filed by workers seeking compensation for asbestos injuries and lawsuits attempting to hold employers accountable for collectively bargained retiree health benefits.
There are countless other potential nominees who would better serve the Ninth Circuit than Mr. Bress. The AFL-CIO urges you to oppose this nomination.
Sincerely,
William Samuel, Director
Government Affairs Department