Des Moines, Iowa — Former Iowa Senator Tom Harkin — a Democrat — says you “can’t fault” the Republican leader of the U.S. Senate for using his political power to get dozens of conservative judges confirmed since President Trump took office, but Harkin says Democrats need to “play hardball” when they’re in power to place progressives on the federal courts.
Harkin has been an advocate of more diversity in the courts, beyond filling judgeships with Ivy League graduates and corporate lawyers. Harkin is urging Iowans to push the presidential candidates on this issue.
Harkin spoke Friday morning at an event near the state capitol that was organized by Demand Justice. It’s a relatively new group that this week began running online ads in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina urging the Democratic presidential candidates campaigning in the early states to release a list of potential Supreme Court nominees — like Trump did in 2016. The group is also pushing the candidates to consider ideas like term limits for judges. Brian Fallon, co-founder of Demand Justice, says without changes, the courts “will be in Republican hands for 30 years.”
