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Clergy Hold ‘Moral March’ Urging Congress to Reject the Nomination of Sen. Jeff Sessions for Attorney General

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 6, 2017

Contact: Michelle Nealy, (202) 735-7123, mnealy@faithinpubliclife.org

Ahead of confirmation hearings, the Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II, architect of the “Moral Mondays” movement, will join hundreds of DC-area interfaith clergy, moral leaders, and persons who will be impacted by decisions of the U.S. Attorney General in denouncing Jeff Sessions

Washington, D.C. — On Monday, January 9, at 11 a.m., a coalition of interfaith clergy, moral leaders, and persons who will be impacted by the decisions of the U.S. Attorney General will hold a press conference to call on Congress to reject the nomination of Jeff Sessions, and only support cabinet appointees who will embrace a moral public policy agenda for the nation.

“The fear-driven, discriminatory leadership Sen. Jeff Sessions is known for is not what our country needs,” said the Rev. Jennifer Butler, founding CEO of Faith in Public Life and the event organizer. “We need a U.S. Attorney General who is fiercely committed to protecting voting rights of vulnerable communities instead of undermining them. We need an Attorney General who seeks a tougher stance on hate crimes, who respects all religions, and who does not disproportionately incarcerate people of color,” she said.

“We are calling on people of conscience to protest the nomination of Jeff Sessions because his record shows consistent support for ideological extremism, racist and classist policies, and the writing of discrimination into law,” said the Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II. “We call on Mr. Trump to withdraw Jeff Sessions’ name from nomination. We call on Jeff Sessions to withdraw his own name too. If neither do, Congress must refuse to confirm this nomination. A person who consistently promotes hateful, race-based ideology both in word and in deed cannot be given the power of the U.S. Attorney General’s office,” he said.

Immediately following the press conference, the delegation of diverse clergy, moral leaders, and impacted persons will unveil a “Declaration of Moral Resistance,” and lead a moral march to Capitol Hill to deliver it to the offices of Congressional leadership.

What: Press conference and unveiling of “Declaration of Moral Resistance”

When: Monday, January 9, 2017, 11 a.m. EST

Where:

Lutheran Church of the Reformation

212 East Capitol St NE

Washington, DC 20003

Who:

Rev. Jennifer Butler, CEO, Faith in Public Life

Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II, President and Senior Lecturer, Repairers of the Breach; Pastor, Greenleaf Christian Church; Architect of the “Moral Mondays” Movement

Rabbi Jason Kimelman-Block, Director, Bend the Arc Jewish Action

Alyssa Aldape, Associate Pastor for Young Adult & Youth Ministries, First Baptist Church of DC

Talib M. Shareef, Imam and President, Masjid Muhammad

Angel Aldana Lopez, Undocumented Alabama resident from Birmingham and single father of two U.S.-born children

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