AFJ: Reported agreement on Obama nominees "an important step forward"

               Alliance for Justice President Nan Aron released the following statement today in response to media reports of an agreement concerning seven of President Obama’s executive branch nominations:

                The agreement, as described in media accounts, is an important step forward for the United States Senate and for the American people whose interests are served when government functions.  But it is not the end of the story.  There will be more legislation, more executive nominations and judicial nominees upon which the Senate will need to act over the next several months.  We hope the spirit of this agreement carries over to that business as well.  But if it does not, all options remain on the table for allowing the Senate to evolve in ways that make it a more effective institution.

              Today’s events demonstrate what can happen when a strong, unified, principled stand is taken against obstruction and dysfunction, and we will work hard to ensure that this same sense of purpose and firm resolve will be present when judicial nominations and vital legislation make their way to the Senate floor in the coming months.

            If this agreement fails to cure the culture of obstruction, we will fight for the reforms necessary to end the paralyzing gridlock that has characterized the Senate over the last several months.
 
         

Thank you, Mr. President: AFJ Praises Obama judicial nominees

Alliance for Justice President Nan Aron issued the following statement today in response to President Obama’s announcement of  seven nominees for federal district courts and a nominee for the United States Court of International Trade:

We are pleased that, so soon after re-election, President Obama appears to be making it a top priority to fill longstanding vacancies on the federal courts. 

President Obama says that these nominees "have demonstrated the talent, expertise, and fair-mindedness Americans expect and deserve from their judicial system.  They also represent my continued commitment to ensure that the judiciary resembles the nation it serves."

We agree.  These nominations continue the president’s exemplary record when it comes to diversity in gender, ethnicity and sexual orientation  – the best record of any president (for details, see AFJ’s Judicial Selection Snapshot).   In addition, we are pleased that two of the nominees come from professional backgrounds that include service to everyday Americans and reflect the full diversity of the legal profession.   Raymond Moore, nominated for the District of Colorado, is the chief public defender for federal cases in Colorado and Wyoming, and Judge Will Thomas, nominated for the Southern District of Florida is a former public defender.

Meanwhile, 19 other nominees, already put forward by the president and approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee, await action by the full Senate during the current lame-duck session.   This at a time when there are scores of vacancies on the federal bench.  There is much truth to the cliché that justice delayed is justice denied.  These nominations bring thousands of Americans a step closer to justice.

The Senate should vote, now, to confirm those nominees.  Please click here to tell your Senator to do just that.

Sen. Reid Speaks Out Against Obstruction of Obama Nominees

Yesterday, Majority Leader Harry Reid took to the floor of the Senate to highlight the adverse effects of Republican obstructionism. In the first four months of the Bush administration, when the Senate was controlled by the President’s party and Democrats were in the minority, there wasn’t a single filibuster of a Bush nominee. Yet, in the first four months of the Obama administration, Republicans filibustered eight of his nominees.
We know Obama’s nominees were not filibustered because they were controversial or unqualified, as their final votes were in the 80 to 97 vote range. As Senator Reid said,

I would try to explain the Republican reason for their refusal, but as with so many other things they oppose, a rationale simply doesn’t exist. Senate Republicans are simply so opposed to everything – absolutely everything – that they even oppose putting people in some of the most important positions in our government.
These delay tactics waste precious time when Congress should be working on issues such as health care, the economy, climate legislation, and filling the rampant vacancies in our judicial system.

The Senate must vote to confirm nominees such as Professor Dawn Johnsen, who was tapped to head the Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) on February 11, 2009 and has still not had a vote despite her eminent qualifications, experience in the OLC during the Clinton administration, and support from distinguished Republicans and Democrats.

We’re glad Senator Reid has spoken out against these harmful delays and in favor of putting the president’s team in place to work for the American people.
Now it’s up to Majority Leader Reid to call the question and let the Senate vote on these highly qualified, outstanding nominees.