Political Quotes

“Mr. President, there are today 81 vacancies in our Federal courts, 29 of which are judicial emergencies. I note, with respect, that the majority leader has compared the number of district court nominees confirmed under the previous President and the current President; but, in my view, what matters most is that there are 29 judicial emergencies in district courts across this country and that there are 20 district court nominees who were voted out of the Judiciary Committee on unanimous voice votes that continue to await action on this floor--the one that I just sought a unanimous consent for, Paula Xinis of the District of Maryland, and 19 others. At this point, 1\1/2\ years into this Congress, only 17 judges have been confirmed to district courts in this United States, and last year the Senate matched a record for confirming the fewest in more than half a century--11 for the entire year. What I am most concerned about is its impact on the operations of the courts of the United States. As a member of the Judiciary Committee, I am frustrated and concerned. We have 24 nominees waiting for a hearing in the committee as well; 7 of these nominees are to courts of appeals, including AUSA Rebecca Ross Haywood, who has been nominated to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, the appellate court covering my home State of Delaware. Then, of course, there are ongoing concerns about the vacancy on the Supreme Court.…”