National Council of Jewish Women Share Strong Opposition to the Nomination of Pam Bondi to Serve as United States Attorney General
January 13, 2024
United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary
224 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Chairman Grassley, Ranking Member Durbin, and Committee Members:
On behalf of the 225,000 advocates of National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW), I am writing to share our strong opposition to the nomination of Pam Bondi to serve as United States Attorney General.
As the nation’s top law enforcement agency, the Department of Justice is responsible for protecting the civil rights of all people in America and vigorously enforcing our nation’s landmark civil rights laws — led by the chief law enforcement officer, the Attorney General. This position is charged with a commitment to the Constitution, rule of law, and defending the rights of everyone. Yet, Ms. Bondi’s anti-civil rights record suggests she would be unable to fulfill the primary duty of her role: equal justice.
Pam Bondi has long opposed fundamental civil right rights, including reproductive rights and LGBTQ+ rights. As Florida’s Attorney General, Ms. Bondi led the state’s efforts to restrict abortion access and reproductive health care by defending restrictive Florida laws and undermining Roe v. Wade and other reproductive freedom-related precedents through multi-state legal challenges. She has continued to be an outspoken critic of abortion rights, spreading disinformation about abortion, pressuring abortion seekers to carry their pregnancies to term, and hailing the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization Supreme Court ruling that overturned the federal right to abortion.
Of particular concern is how she has weaponized religion in support of her extremist views about reproductive health care. Ms. Bondi joined briefs in a series of legal challenges to the Affordable Care Act’s contraceptive coverage benefit, supported by NCJW, arguing it unfairly burdened religious freedoms and exercise by requiring employers to provide insurance coverage for contraception — and stated that her “commitment to protecting religious liberty far transcends any particular view on the morality of contraception, sterilization, and abortion-inducing drugs.” Ms. Bondi’s personal religious beliefs have no place in shaping policy and imposing them not only undermines the separation of religion and state but also marginalizes minority faiths and non-religious individuals, eroding our rights and freedoms.
Pam Bondi’s opposition to LGBTQ+ rights spans decades. She defended a 2008 Florida constitutional amendment barring same-sex marriage. In 2010, she expressed her intent to “vigorously defend Florida’s law banning gay adoption,” which would restrict LGBTQ+ people from adopting children in Florida. And, as Attorney General, she fought against marriage equality in Florida even well after courts settled the matter. She argued for state enforcement of a discriminatory definition of marriage and defended the state’s ban on same-sex marriage against multiple legal challenges.
Ms. Bondi’s record on voting and elections is similarly concerning. She pursued election fraud claims in 2020 and has not retracted her statements or acknowledged spreading disinformation. And, at the America First Policy Institute, she brought at least five lawsuits aiming to hinder ballot box access or disenfranchise specific groups of voters.
Her long-time anti-immigrant positions are just as alarming. She has advocated for stringent immigration state-level laws, including urging lawmakers to adopt Arizona’s 2010 law that would allow police to ask individuals for their immigration documents when they were stopped or detained. And, as Attorney General, Ms. Bondi supported measures that would increase the criminalization of immigrants, especially undocumented individuals.
Given the work of the Department of Justice and the role of the Attorney General — to uphold the rule of law, keep our country safe, and protect civil rights — Pam Bondi’s record raises serious questions about her ability to be the leader at the helm of the Department of Justice that this country needs and the American people deserve.
The Attorney General is one of the most powerful positions in the federal government; Ms. Bondi’s record demonstrates that she is a threat to our civil rights — especially for women, religious minorities, LGBTQ+ individuals, immigrants, and other marginalized communities. NCJW urges you to reject the nomination of Pam Bondi for the role of United States Attorney General.
Sincerely,
Jody Rabhan
Chief Policy Officer
National Council of Jewish Women
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