Russ Feingold: “I am pleased to support the efforts of my colleagues to call attention to the refusal of Republicans in the Senate to…”

“I am pleased to support the efforts of my colleagues to call attention to the refusal of Republicans in the Senate to allow confirmation votes on judicial nominees. We have all heard the numbers only 9 circuit and 27 district judges confirmed so far in this Congress, 7 circuit and 14 district judges now awaiting floor action, with 15 of those nominees having been reported by the Judiciary Committee before the end of May. This is an inexcusable blockade of justice in America for wholly political reasons, and it needs to stop. I am pleased also to join the senior Senator from my State, Mr. Kohl, in specifically seeking consent to debate and vote on Justice Louis Butler's nomination to be a U.S. District Judge for the Western District of Wisconsin. Justice Butler, who was the first African American to serve on Wisconsin's Supreme Court, was first reported by the Judiciary Committee on December 3, 2009. He has essentially been waiting for the full Senate to take up his nomination for more than 7 months.”