No more judges until after the election

It’s official, Congress has left for recess without confirming a single judicial nominee before breaking for the election. This comes at a time when many (including Attorney General Holder) are decrying the current vacancy crisis in our courts, and when confirmation rates are already at an all-time low. In a statement earlier today, AFJ President Nan Aron expressed disappointment with the Senate:

“The Senate’s failure to move forward without confirming any judicial
appointments before the election recess is extraordinarily disappointing and
reflects an astonishing lack of urgency about the well-documented judicial
emergencies in our courts.”

Last week, we launched a campaign asking many of you to contact your Senators to urge for votes on the 23 judicial nominees currently awaiting final confirmation. We thank you for your efforts, and hope that you will be ready to renew the fight when Congress returns in November. We need to maintain the sense of urgency in the Senate and must not let our justice system fall prey to these political games. Keep the pressure up on your own Senators over the break, whether at town hall meetings, campaign events, or fundraisers, make it clear that the judiciary is a priority.