Political Quotes

“the Senate will vote today on 3 of the 26 judicial nominations reported favorably by the Judiciary Committee and still awaiting a Senate vote. All three of these nominations, two to Federal district courts in Pennsylvania and one to the Southern District of Florida, were reported unanimously by the Judiciary Committee before the August recess. All three have the support of both Democratic and Republican home State Senators. Two of them are to fill judicial emergency vacancies. Senate Democrats were prepared to have votes on all three nominations 3 months ago when they were first reported to the Senate. I have heard no reason or explanation for why the Republican leadership refused until now to consent to votes on these nominations. There is also no good reason or explanation for the Republican leadership's continued refusal to vote on the more than two dozen nominations stalled before the Senate. With Republican agreement, we could vote on all of them. Like the three nominations the Senate considers today, 21 of the other judicial nominations pending on the calendar and still being delayed were reported unanimously by the Judiciary Committee. At a time when vacancies on Federal courts throughout the country remain near 90, with over 10 percent Federal judgeships vacant, the delays in considering and confirming these consensus judicial nominees is inexcusable. The American people need functioning Federal courts with judges, not vacancies.…”