Patrick Leahy: “Today, in addition to voting on the nomination of Raymond Gruender, we vote to confirm another circuit court nominee…”

“Today, in addition to voting on the nomination of Raymond Gruender, we vote to confirm another circuit court nominee, Judge Franklin Van Antwerpen to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. A Federal District Court judge since he was appointed by President Reagan in 1987, Judge Van Antwerpen comes to the Senate floor strongly supported by the Senior Senator from Pennsylvania, who I know is eager to see him confirmed. Today's confirmation will make the 76th judge confirmed this year alone and the 176th judicial nominee to be confirmed for this President. With 76 judicial confirmations in just a little more than 16 months, the Senate has now confirmed more Federal judges than were confirmed during the two full years of 1995 and 1996, when Republicans first controlled the Senate and President Clinton was in the White House. It also exceeds the 2-year total for the last 2 years of the Clinton administration, when Republicans held the Senate. In fact, with 176 total confirmations for President Bush in just 3 1/2 years, the Senate has confirmed more lifetime appointees for this president than were allowed to be confirmed in President Clinton's entire second term, the most recent 4-year presidential term. We have already surpassed the number of judicial confirmations won by President Reagan in his entire first term in office.”