Roy Blunt: “this week we are moving to confirm four Federal circuit judges. Because of that, it is a good week to talk about the…”

“this week we are moving to confirm four Federal circuit judges. Because of that, it is a good week to talk about the critical role the judiciary plays and actually about the unique power our Constitution gave the courts to do the job they are supposed to do. They are to provide a check and balance on the other two coequal branches of government--the executive branch and the legislative branch. Most importantly, the Federal judiciary provides Americans with an avenue with which to seek the rule of law, an avenue to know that one is going to be impacted by what the law says and what the Constitution says. It is a fundamental right of how we conduct ourselves, how we seek justice, how people should be able to make decisions about their families and about their businesses and about their financial futures as well as their personal futures. That is why judges who believe in the rule of law and what the law says and what the Constitution says are so important and why it is important to have qualified and well-grounded judges--not just people who are really good lawyers but people who have an appreciation for how important it is that others can absolutely rely on the law and the Constitution. Those can be changed. There is a way to change them, but the way to change them is seldom on the Federal bench. According to the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, as of this morning, there are 148 vacancies on the Federal judiciary.…”