Herb Kohl: “my vote in opposition to the motion to proceed to H.R. 2646 was unrelated to the merits of this education IRA proposal.…”

“my vote in opposition to the motion to proceed to H.R. 2646 was unrelated to the merits of this education IRA proposal. I voted with Senator Durbin on this procedural issue to protest the lack of floor action on two noncontroversial judicial nominees from Illinois. While the Senate should consider how to make quality education more affordable, it also should not neglect its duty to fill judicial vacancies. The Senate's failure to act on these nominees is particularly egregious--one of these positions has been vacant for five years, and the other has been vacant for almost three and a half years. There are currently 82 judicial vacancies, and continued inaction and delay in the Senate is likely to compromise the quality of justice available to crime victims and other injured persons throughout the U.S.”