Orrin Hatch: “the Senate will consider this week four nominations for the U.S. courts of appeals. Two are well regarded professors at…”

“the Senate will consider this week four nominations for the U.S. courts of appeals. Two are well regarded professors at prestigious law schools, and two are highly respected State supreme court justices. Each of them has received the highest rating from the American Bar Association, ``well qualified,'' which my Democratic colleagues have said is the gold standard for evaluating nominees. I applaud the majority leader for committing to do what it takes to confirm these nominees, including, if necessary, working through the weekend to get it done. I want to address the state of the confirmation process by focusing on one of these nominees, as well as attempts to change the process itself. Later today we will confirm Amy Coney Barrett to the Seventh Circuit. She has taught at the Notre Dame Law School for 15 years in fields that are especially relevant to the work of a Federal appellate judge. A distinguished and diverse group of more than 70 law professors at schools from Massachusetts to California and from Minnesota to Florida wrote that her scholarship is ``rigorous, fair-minded, respectful and constructive.'' I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record that letter. There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows: May 19, 2017. Re Nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. Hon. Charles Grassley, Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary, U.S.…”