Federal News Service Transcript - Press Conference Regarding: Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals Judicial Nominees

Federal News Service

July 9, 2003 Wednesday

SECTION: PRESS CONFERENCE OR SPEECH

HEADLINE: PRESS CONFERENCE REGARDING: SIXTH CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS JUDICIAL NOMINEES

SEN. CORNYN: I, too, want to add my voice to those who are calling for the release of the Michigan Four. We need to fix the broken judicial confirmation process of the United States Senate. We are currently experiencing two unprecedented filibusters of two highly qualified nominees. And what this obstruction represents is further politicalization (sic) of the judiciary.

Judges should be above and beyond politics. But unfortunately, due to this obstructionist activity, both in the filibusters and unprecedented use of the blue slip, where a minority gets to dictate the terms to a majority in the Senate that stands ready to confirm these nominees, we have the Constitution turned on its head. And I believe this action is an important step in trying to let the American people know exactly what is happening, something that is very bad for the quality of justice in this country and is very bad for the judiciary and should not be part of this politicalization (sic) process.

REP. CAMP: I'm Dave Camp from Michigan. I'm joined by a number of my House colleagues from Michigan, Ohio and Kentucky. And I know they'll all want to have an opportunity to talk to you. But as Senator Frist has said, we have an emergency situation in the Sixth Circuit. And that could be—it could be overcome if the obstruction in the Senate would just end. And traditionally, four of these seats have gone to the state of Michigan, not by law, but by custom. And we have four qualified nominees that have been blue-slipped by our senators. And it's really an unconscionable, unwarranted and unreasonable delay. And if the political nonsense would stop, we could really get to this justice at hand. And it really is hurting the people of Michigan and the whole region—the whole circuit. So I would urge our senators to let the hearing come forward, let these qualified nominees—the ABA has qualified them—let them come forward, let them have their hearing and their vote in the Senate.

Thank you.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

SEN. CORNYN: Well, I would just say that this shouldn't be about politics, this should be about principle. And the principle that's important here is that when a bipartisan majority of the United States Senate stands ready to confirm a judicial nominee, that one or two senators should not be able to stop that process in its track by use of the blue slip process or by an unconstitutional filibuster that we're seeing now from a minority, particularly the leadership of the other party when it comes to Miguel Estrada and Priscilla Owen.

The principle is: In a democracy, majorities rule. And all we are asking for, the principle we want to vindicate and uphold here is when a bipartisan majority of the United States Senate stands ready to vote "aye" for the president's judicial nominees, that vote ought to go forward.