Patrick Leahy: “today, we vote to confirm J. Ronnie Greer to the United States District Court. With this confirmation we will have…”

“today, we vote to confirm J. Ronnie Greer to the United States District Court. With this confirmation we will have filled the sole vacancy on this court, one that arose in October 2002. Judge Greer will join Judge J. Daniel Breen and Judge Thomas Varlan, who we confirmed to lifetime appointments to the Western District of Tennessee and Eastern District of Tennessee, respectively, earlier in March of this year. These three confirmations build on the progress we were able to make while I chaired the Judiciary Committee during the 107th Congress. During those months we proceeded expeditiously to consider and confirm Judge Thomas Phillips to the Eastern District of Tennessee and Samuel Hardy Mays, Jr. to the Western District of Tennessee. In addition, during my tenure as chairman we broke the logjam on appointments to the United States Court of Appeals to the Sixth Circuit by confirming Judge Julia Smith Gibbons of Tennessee to that circuit court. She was the first Sixth Circuit confirmation in almost 5 years during which the Republican Senate majority had refused to proceed on three of President Clinton's Sixth Circuit nominees and vacancies grew to half the circuit court. The Tennessee total during the last few years now stands at six and its Federal bench is completely filled. Working with Senator Frist, Senator Alexander, and before them my good friend Senator Thompson, we have been able to make tremendous progress during the last 2 years.”