Alliance for Justice Calls for an End to Time-Wasting Filibusters and the Endless Logjam on Judicial Nominations in the U.S. Senate

Washington, D.C., March 12, 2012—Alliance for Justice President Nan Aron issued the following statement in the wake of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s expressed intention of filing cloture petitions covering 17 nominees to the U.S. District Courts:

Today marks an important milestone in the seemingly endless process of confirming judges to the federal courts and alleviating the staffing crisis in our judicial system. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has been forced to file time-consuming cloture petitions to end Republican filibusters on 17 nominees to the district courts, the vast majority of whom were approved unanimously by the Senate Judiciary Committee or with only token opposition. It is crucial that the destructive, unprincipled obstructionist tactics plaguing the confirmation process virtually since the day President Obama took office come to an end.

It is appalling to realize that from the time they were proposed by the President to today’s cloture petition, these 17 nominees have been waiting a cumulative total of 3,577 days – the equivalent of almost 10 years – for final votes. Enough is enough. With great economic, national security, and domestic policy issues confronting the nation, the idea that weeks of the Senate’s time will need to be devoted to dealing with what amounts to a political tantrum, is almost beyond belief. It’s time to end the nominations logjam in the Senate, fill the empty seats on the federal bench, and get back to the business of solving the nation’s problems.

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NOTE: Up-to-the-minute statistics for judicial nominations are always available online on the Alliance for Justice’s Judicial Selection page, which contains the highly regarded Judicial Selection Snapshot, as well as data on Pending Nominees, a list of Vacancies Without Nominees, and our new Judicial Selection Calendar.

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Alliance for Justice is a national association of over 100 organizations, representing a broad array of groups committed to progressive values and the creation of an equitable, just, and free society. AFJ works to ensure that the federal judiciary advances core constitutional values, preserves human rights and unfettered access to the courts, and adheres to the even-handed administration of justice for all Americans. It is the leading expert on the legal framework for nonprofit advocacy efforts, providing definitive information, resources, and technical assistance that encourages organizations and their funding partners to fully exercise their right to be active participants in the democratic process. AFJ is based in Washington, D.C.