Senate confirms Obama judicial nominees for Texas

The Senate confirmed two of President Obama's judicial nominees for district court positions in Texas on Thursday.

Gregg Jeffrey Costa was confirmed as the U.S. District judge for the Southern District and David Campos Guaderrama was confirmed as U.S. District judge for Texas's Western District. The vote was 92 to 2 for Costa and Guaderrama was confirmed by voice vote. 

Just before the vote Sen. Pat Leahy (D-Vt.) accused Republicans of dragging their feat on confirming Obama's judicial nominees, a charge Democrats have repeatedly lobbed at Republicans.

"Senate Republicans have simply refused promptly to confirm consensus nominees," Leahy said. "I will vote for these two judges, the two senators from Texas will vote for these judges but they were ready to be voted on way last year."

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) denied that there was any sloth on confirming the nominees and noted that Costa had asked to wait on his confirmation until he was done with a case.

"Mr. Costa asked not to be confirmed until he could finish that case because it was complicated and he was the lead on it. So there has been no delay on his nomination," Hutchison  shot back in response. "I don't think there's a delay here, and I'm very pleased to have nominated these two very fine lawyers to the president."

The confirmations are part of a deal reached between Senate Democrats and Republicans to vote on 14 of 17 of Obama's judicial nominees before May 7.