Bill Nelson: “On that point, we have been fortunate to have a bipartisan approach in Florida with regard to the confirmation of judges…”

“On that point, we have been fortunate to have a bipartisan approach in Florida with regard to the confirmation of judges as well. My senior colleague, Senator Graham, as Governor back in 1978 to 1986, was able to get the legislature to pass a series of panels called the Judicial Nominating Commission. This would be composed of lay people and members of the bar, leaders of the community who would receive applications for a vacant judgeship, and then that committee would screen them, interview them, look at their credentials, and nominate three, and then the Governor would select. That is still law today. When Governor Graham was elected to the Senate in 1986, he started to institute a similar situation, but rather by custom instead of law, in the confirmation of nominees to the Federal bench. It has worked well, while there have been two Senators of the same party and, indeed, while Florida has had two Senators of both parties. Indeed, the judicial nominating commissions formed back in Florida nominate three for the vacancy. The Senators sit down and interview all three of those. Now we are operating under a system that we have worked out with the existing Governor of Florida that it will be six nominees for the vacancy. Senator Graham and I sit down and interview all six, and we make a recommendation to the White House if we have an objection. Otherwise, the White House then goes about and selects which one they want.”