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Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Courts - "The Senate has not confirmed any nominees to the federal judiciary this year"

From the Blog of LegalTimes:

The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee accused Republicans today of stalling the confirmation of nominees for top legal jobs.

Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), speaking at the start of a committee meeting, expressed frustration that the Senate has not confirmed any nominees to the federal judiciary this year. In all, he said, there are 17 nominations that the Judiciary Committee has sent to the full Senate and that are still awaiting confirmation.

"The Senate has to do better," Leahy said. "There's actually no excuse for not having moved yet."

Among those cooling their heels in the Senate are four nominees for top Justice Department jobs, the nominee to chair the U.S. Sentencing Commission, and nominees for the U.S. Courts of Appeal for the 2nd, 4th, and 7th Circuits. Harvard Law Professor Cass Sunstein, nominated for administrator of the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, is also awaiting a vote.

The list, of course, includes Hoosiers Dawn Johnsen and David Hamilton.

Posted by Marcia Oddi on July 29, 2009 01:07 PM
Posted to Courts in general