Senate Judiciary Committee Holds Over Votes on Five Nominees, Indefinitely Delays Vote on One

This morning, at the request of committee Republicans, the Senate Judiciary Committee held over votes on five nominees: Morgan Christen, nominee to the United States Court of Appeal for the Ninth Circuit; Scott W. Skavdahl, nominee to the United States District Court for the District of Wyoming; Sharon L. Gleason, nominee to the United States District Court for the District of Alaska; Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, nominee to the United States District Court for the Northern District of California; and Richard G. Andrews, nominee to the United States District Court for the District of Delaware. Those five nominees may be considered at the committee's next business meeting.

Since President Obama took office, committee Republicans have held over votes on every one of his judicial nominees, regardless of qualification, in an effort to delay filling vacant judgeships.

The committee once again delayed a vote on the nomination of Steve Six to the United States Court of Appeal for the Tenth Circuit.

As a result of Republican obstructionism, there are now 114 vacancies in the federal judiciary. Twenty-five nominees are awaiting confirmation votes on the Senate floor, 23 of whom were reported out of committee either unanimously or with strong bipartisan support. Thirteen of these nominees would fill seats considered to be judicial emergencies by the administrative office of the U.S. Courts.

Senator McConnell should stop blocking votes on these nominees, and the Senate should confirm them without delay. Join Alliance for Justice in calling on McConnell and Majority Leader Harry Reid to schedule votes immediately.