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Sen. Arlen Specter (Pa.), ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, is ratcheting up the pressure on Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), the panel’s chairman, to confirm President Bush’s judicial nominees.
Specter sent a lengthy letter to Leahy on Friday urging him to schedule “prompt action on nominees,” arguing that “President Bush is even farther behind President Clinton in total confirmations when contrasting their entire terms.”
Specter stated that the Senate has confirmed only 57 of Bush’s circuit court nominees and 237 of his district court selections. Clinton saw 65 of his circuit court nominees and 305 district picks confirmed, according to the letter.
“[T]here must be confirmations or at least up-or-down votes on 9 additional circuit court and 23 district court judges to equal President Clinton’s record,” wrote Specter, who spoke on the Senate floor Monday to press his case publicly.
In a statement, Leahy blamed Republicans for slowing his panel’s pace of business.
“Republican members of the Judiciary Committee effectively boycotted our business meetings in February and obstructed our ability to report judicial nominations and high-ranking Justice Department nominations.”
Leahy said he had to adjourn business meetings on Feb. 14 and Feb. 28 because not enough Republicans attended.
Leahy also pointed the finger at Bush for failing to send nominees to the Senate. The administration has failed to submit nominees for half of 19 judicial vacancies, according to Leahy. The opposition of home-state senators is holding up other nominees, he said.
“If the White House and the Senate Republicans were serious about filling vacancies and not just seeking to score partisan political points, the president would not make nominations opposed by home state senators of both parties,” Leahy wrote. |
