Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I rise to join Rhode Island's senior Senator Jack Reed and other colleagues to call attention to the recurring Republican roadblock of qualified nominees to circuit and district courts. On the circuit courts, I spoke some time ago about Albert Diaz and James Wynn to sit on the fourth circuit in North Carolina. I know the Presiding Officer has a keen interest in those two. These two were reported out of the Judiciary Committee on January 28, 2010, 6 months ago yesterday. Albert Diaz was voted out 19 to 0. James Wynn was voted out 18 to 1. That means a combined score of 37 to 1 for these two candidates whom the two Senators from North Carolina had agreed on, a Republican Senator and a Democratic Senator. I came to the floor 3 months ago, given that background, on April 20 to ask unanimous consent for their confirmation. Senator Kyl, who voted for both of these nominees in committee, objected on behalf of his colleagues. That is the environment we are in. Unfortunately, that environment has filtered down to district judges. Consider the four district court nominees currently on the Executive Calendar, voted out of committee by a party-line vote, who are ahead of our Rhode Island nominee and who have to be cleared before we get to our Rhode Island judge. Lewis Butler is a former Wisconsin Supreme Court justice. Ed Chen and Benita Pearson are long-serving and well- respected Federal magistrate judges in San Francisco and Akron, OH.…”