Patrick Leahy: “last week I spoke at some length about the crisis being created by our failure to move forward expeditiously to fill…”

“last week I spoke at some length about the crisis being created by our failure to move forward expeditiously to fill longstanding judicial vacancies. This week, we have the opportunity to double our confirmations by taking up and approving the five judicial nominees on the Senate Executive Calendar. As the Senate approaches its fifth extended recess, it have found time to confirm only five Federal judges of the 38 nominees the President has sent to us. That is less than one judge per month. We continue to fall farther and farther behind the pace established by Senator Dole and Senator Hatch in the last Congress. By this time 2 years ago, Senator Hatch had held six confirmation hearings involving 26 judicial nominees and the Senate had proceeded to confirm 26 Federal judges by the end of June--during one of the busiest periods ever, during the first 100 days of the Republicans' Contract with America. I have spoken often about the crisis being created by the 100 vacancies that are being perpetuated on the Federal courts around the country, as has the Chief Justice of the United States. At the rate that we are currently going more and more vacancies are continuing to mount over longer and longer times to the detriment of greater numbers of Americans and the national cause of prompt justice. There are another five highly-qualified judicial nominees on the Senate calendar. They should not be held hostage to the resolution of other disputes.”