On the recordJanuary 20, 2010
as we return for the second session of the 111th Congress, the Senate at last considers the long-stalled nomination of Judge Beverly Martin of Georgia to the Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. Even though Judge Martin is a well-respected district court judge with the strong support of both of her home State Republican Senators, Senator Chambliss and Senator Isakson, her nomination has been stuck on the Senate Executive Calendar for over 4 months since it was promptly reported by the Judiciary Committee without a single dissenting vote. The delays for consideration of the nomination of Judge Martin, along with delays for seven other judicial nominations currently on the Senate's Executive Calendar, are the result of a Republican strategy to stall, delay, and obstruct that began last year. I urge the Senate Republican leadership to reconsider their strategy and instead join with us and with President Obama to fill the more than 100 vacancies that have now accumulated on our Federal courts around the country. The obstructionist tactics that we saw last year from Republicans led to the lowest number of judicial confirmations in more than 50 years. Only 12 of President Obama's judicial nominations to Federal circuit and district courts were confirmed all last year. The 12 Federal circuit and district court nominees confirmed last year was less than half of what we achieved during President Bush's first tumultuous year.
