Jim Inhofe: “in the midst of all the confusion and anxiety of the last week, we are going to be asked to vote on the confirmation of…”

“in the midst of all the confusion and anxiety of the last week, we are going to be asked to vote on the confirmation of three judges that I think should be looked at very carefully. First is the nomination of William Fletcher to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Groups are in opposition due to a Law Review article in which he stated that judicial discretion trumps legislative discretion when a legislature fails to act. Presently, Fletcher's mother is sitting on the Ninth Circuit, which is historically the most liberal and activist court in the United States. Over the last 3 years, the Supreme Court overturned the Ninth Circuit more than any other. In a book review, about which Mr. Fletcher was questioned before the committee, he stated that political circumstances outweigh a literal reading of the Constitution. In short, the Constitution is what Judge Fletcher says it is. Judge Fletcher is an extremist and should not be confirmed. Nomination of Richard Paez to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals: In an outrageous ruling in 1997, Judge Paez ruled that an American company could be liable for human rights abuses committed by their partners in another country. Paez has shown a bias against religious and conservative groups.”