Cornyn Statement On The President's Judicial Nominations

Cornyn Statement On The President's Judicial Nominations

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, tonight made the following statement regarding six judicial nominees which are expected to be resubmitted by President Bush to the Senate for its consideration and comments by U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer who, according to the Associated Press, questioned whether the nominees were "an aberration because the President feels he must placate his hard-right base."

"It was my hope that with the election now behind us, the Senate could move forward in a bipartisan manner that treats all qualified judicial nominees fairly and assures them a simple up-or-down vote. It seems, however, that despite their bipartisan rhetoric on election-night, some of my Democrat colleagues seem intent on continuing their record of obstruction when it comes to the President's nominees. That is very disappointing. Members of the federal judiciary should not be political footballs and they should not be subject to ideological litmus tests by Members of the Senate. I hope the partisan attack that we have seen from Senator Schumer today is itself an aberration, and not an indication of how the Democrats intend to run the United States Senate. If Democrats are truly committed to bipartisanship, they will give these qualified nominees a fair, up-or-down vote."

The nominees are: Terrence Boyle of North Carolina and William James Haynes II of Virginia to the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Va.; Michael Brunson Wallace of Mississippi to the 5th Circuit in New Orleans; Peter Keisler to the D.C. Circuit; and William Gerry Myers III and Norman Randy Smith, both of Idaho, for the 9th Circuit in San Francisco.

http://cornyn.senate.gov/index.asp?f=record&lid=1&yid=1&rid=237266&pg=1