Kay Hagan: “I come to the Senate floor this afternoon to discuss two nominees for the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals--Judges Jim…”

“I come to the Senate floor this afternoon to discuss two nominees for the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals--Judges Jim Wynn and Albert Diaz. When I came to the Senate, I had high hopes of increasing the number of North Carolinians on the court. North Carolina is the fastest growing and largest State served by the Fourth Circuit. Yet only 1 of the 15 seats is filled by the abundant talent from our State, and over the past century North Carolina has had fewer total judges on the court than any other State. Furthermore, there have been inexcusable vacancies on this court throughout history. Given that the U.S. Supreme Court only reviews 1 percent of the cases it receives, the Fourth Circuit is the last stop for almost all Federal cases in the region. We must bring this court back to its full strength. Since 1990, when this court was granted 15 seats, it has never had 15 active judges. Judge Wynn brings decades of judicial experience to the bench.”