Mike Levin: “the Senate today will vote on the confirmation of a number of judicial nominees. I not only have no problem with that, I…”

“the Senate today will vote on the confirmation of a number of judicial nominees. I not only have no problem with that, I very much favor it. These nominees deserve a vote. The districts in which they will serve surely deserve to have their nominations acted upon. I believe the Nation, as a whole, deserves to have these nominees, and other nominees awaiting hearings and votes acted on by this Senate as well. The Judiciary Committee held hearings for three of the nominees and approved those nominations less than a week after the nominations were received. Other nominees wait in vain for years just for a hearing. That strikes me as being an arbitrary and inexplicable system, unfair to nominees awaiting hearings, awaiting votes, and unfair to the districts or the circuits in which they would serve if confirmed. I believe it is also unfair--perhaps this is most important of all--to the people who await justice in their courts. Two Michigan nominees to the Sixth Circuit have been waiting unsuccessfully for a hearing for more than 3 rac{1}{2} ext{ years and 1 year respectively. Two women, highly qualified, nominated from Michigan for the Sixth Circuit where there is a severe shortage of judges and an enormous caseload that sits there pending, while they have been waiting for more than 3 rac{1}{2} ext{ years and 1 year respectively. Judge Helene White, who is a court of appeals judge in Michigan, was first nominated in January of 1997.”