Angie Craig: “there are few duties of the Senate more important than the confirmation of nominees to positions on the federal bench.…”

“there are few duties of the Senate more important than the confirmation of nominees to positions on the federal bench. It is my strong belief that the qualifications of the nominees must be weighed carefully and deliberately, no matter what level of the court system the nominee is supposed to join. My decision on a judicial nominee's fitness is based on my evaluation of three criteria: character, competence and judicial philosophy--that is, how the nominee views the duty of the court and its scope of authority. This is the original role of the judiciary: neither rubber-stamping legislative decisions, nor overreaching to act as substitute legislators. I have heard from citizens complaining about the harm done by social activists of the bench--harm that may only be reversed by an extraordinary action on the part of the legislative branch, if at all. It is exactly this aspect of the nomination before us that concerns me. I have reviewed the background materials on Judge Paez, and I cannot ignore the nominee's penchant for imposing his own political vision on the case before him.”