Jim Webb: “I was very gratified yesterday when the Senate unanimously voted to confirm Arenda Wright Allen as U.S. District Judge…”

“I was very gratified yesterday when the Senate unanimously voted to confirm Arenda Wright Allen as U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Virginia, and I am very glad to be here to speak in support of Virginia's nominee to the Western District of Virginia, Judge Michael Urbanski. As I did yesterday, I wish to express my appreciation to the leadership of both parties in the Senate for scheduling these important confirmation votes. Filling existing vacancies on our courts is important to Virginia, it is important to America, particularly in these cases where the nominees are noncontroversial to either party and, thus, are able to be brought forward for reasonably quick confirmation. One of the bedrock principles in this country is access to justice, and it can clearly be said that vacancies on our courts create backlogs, bottlenecks and delays, and justice delayed is obviously justice denied. Again, I wish to express my appreciation to the leadership for moving these two very highly qualified nominees, Arenda Wright Allen, who was confirmed yesterday, and Judge Michael Urbanski, who will be voted on shortly. In that regard, I am proud of the work we have been able to do during my time in the Senate in finding dedicated, well-qualified jurists from Virginia to recommend to the President when vacancies do occur on the Federal bench.…”