Patrick Leahy: “in light of the continuing criticism of Republicans about the Senate Judiciary Committee's vote on the nomination of…”

“in light of the continuing criticism of Republicans about the Senate Judiciary Committee's vote on the nomination of Priscilla Owen to be a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, I am making my statement from September 5, 2002, on that vote a part of the Record. I would also like to respond to the misleading suggestion that the Senate Judiciary Committee has never defeated a nominee who received a ``well qualified'' rating from the American Bar Association. In fact, in the prior six and one-half years of Republican control of the Senate the nominations of more than a dozen judicial candidates with unanimous well qualified ratings were defeated in the Committee through the decision of Republicans to block them from receiving hearings and votes on their nominations. More than three dozen others received partial ratings of ``well qualified'' and ``qualified.'' More than 50 of President Clinton's judicial nominees never received Committee votes, despite their ratings. The truth is that Republicans defeated dozens of judicial nominees with well-qualified ratings, not in the light of day with a democratic vote, but in the dark of night through secret, anonymous holds or other tactics.”