Texas Justice Confirmed

TEXAS JUSTICE CONFIRMED

Cornyn says 'Owen Precedent' has been set; debates over judicial philosophy and past rulings are no justification for filibusters

Wednesday, May 25, 2005

WASHINGTON-U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and former colleague of Justice Owen on the Texas Supreme Court, made the following statement Wednesday regarding the bipartisan Senate vote for her confirmation to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit:

"The heated rhetoric, unfounded attacks, and distortions of Justice Priscilla Owen's record over the past four years ended with a whimper. The sky did not fall when the clerk called the roll; the earth did not stop rotating on its axis when we stood up and voted. A supremely qualified nominee received the up-or-down vote she deserved, and a bipartisan majority voted to confirm her nomination. Something we could have done four years ago, and something I hope we can now move forward and do the same for the other judicial nominees who, like Owen, were unjustly filibustered by a partisan minority.

"And it should be well settled now that disagreement over judicial philosophy is not an 'extraordinary circumstance,' and thus no justification whatsoever for violating Senate traditions and imposing supermajority voting requirements. I call it the 'Owen precedent.' Under the precedent set today, debates over judicial philosophy and disagreements about past rulings are not justification for the use of a filibuster. That is exactly what this week's agreement should be understood to say."

Sen. Cornyn served previously as Texas Attorney General, Texas Supreme Court Justice, and Bexar County District Judge.

http://cornyn.senate.gov/releases.cfm