Political Quotes

“today, we will vote on the nomination of Lawrence Vilardo to be a Federal district judge in the Western District of New York in Buffalo. He was first nominated in February, and his nomination was voted out of the Judiciary Committee by unanimous voice vote over 5 months ago on May 6. There is no reason why this highly qualified nominee should have waited so long for a vote. Despite having one of the busiest caseloads in the country, with more criminal cases than Washington, DC, Boston, or Cleveland, there is not a single active Federal judge in that district. The court has been staying afloat only through the voluntary efforts of two judges on senior status who are hearing cases in their retirement. It is about time that we confirmed Mr. Vilardo to this vacancy. Next week marks the 11th month that Republicans have been in the majority in the Senate. During that time, only nine judicial nominees have been confirmed. When Senate Democrats were in the majority during the last 2 years of the Bush Presidency, we had already confirmed 34 judges by this same time. The glacial pace at which Republicans are currently confirming judicial nominees is an inexcusable failure to carry out the Senate's constitutional duty of providing advice and consent. It also has real and dire consequences for hard-working Americans who seek justice but instead encounter lengthy delays in the Federal court system due to empty courthouses and overburdened courts.…”