Political Quotes

“Mr. President, last Thursday the Senate voted to end the filibuster on the nomination of John Owens of California to a judicial emergency vacancy on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. This is the longest running vacancy in our entire Federal court system. Today the Senate will finally vote to confirm this outstanding nominee to a court that is in desperate need of judges. The Ninth Circuit is the busiest circuit court in the country, and yet it has not been operating at full strength for more than nine years. It has the highest number of appeals filed, the highest pending appeals per panel and the highest pending appeals per active judge. It also takes far longer than any other circuit court to resolve an appeal. The delay in resolving these appeals hurts the American people. After confirming John Owens, the Senate should proceed to Michelle Friedland's nomination to the Ninth Circuit as soon as possible. The nomination of John Owens is an example of how the process of judicial nominations and consultation with home State senators should work. Under Article II of the Constitution, the Senate has a significant role to play regarding our independent judiciary. We are called upon to work with the President by providing advice and consent for Federal judicial appointments. Some have recently questioned the rationale behind the so-called ``blue slip'' process that solicits the views of the home State senators before a judicial nomination moves in the Senate.…”