Senator Reid Betrays Promise     6/6/2008

Washington, D.C. - Last April Senator Harry Reid (D-Nevada) promised to do everything in his power to confirm at least three judicial nominees by the Memorial Day recess. Two weeks after Memorial Day, only one nominee has been confirmed.

At that time, Sen. Reid recognized that the Democratic leadership needed "to make more progress on" circuit court nominations. But all that rhetoric meant nothing as Sen. Reid's fluffy promise, just like Memorial Day, has come and gone.

Americans have asked Senator Reid to stop partisan politics and move along on President Bush's judicial nominees. But apparently our outcry keeps falling on deaf ears.

Mario Diaz, Concerned Women for America's (CWA) Policy Director for Legal Issues, said, "Americans are looking for a leader to transcend politics, stand up and do the right thing. Sen. Reid presented himself as worthy and able to be a leader in the U.S. Senate. Yet partisan politics and broken promises are not the traits of a noble leader. (Listen|Download)

"Many of the nominations being blocked in the Senate are for seats that have been declared judicial emergencies. That means that there are not enough judges on certain circuits to handle the case load. This has a tangible and profound impact on the American people. But Sen. Reid has made perfectly clear that when it comes to judicial nominations, political games are more important than the needs of the people." (Listen|Download)

The nomination of Peter Keisler has been pending for almost 700 days; Judge Robert Conrad's has been pending for 300 days. Both men have an impeccable record and received the American Bar Association's highest rating of "well qualified."

"Qualifications, character and merit should be the only issues when looking at judicial nominees. But it appears that Sen. Reid has received his marching orders from extreme liberal special interest groups who are dictating that these nominees need to be opposed because they will not be judicial activists for their preferred causes. Sen. Reid knows that these are well-qualified nominees and that if given a vote they would be confirmed, leading us to conclude that he has broken his promise and played political games precisely to prevent qualified men and women from serving on federal courts." (Listen|Download)

Listen|Download|Read the full commentary by Mario Diaz.

For Information Contact:
Demi Bardsley
(202) 488-7000, ext. 1020
media.cwfa.org

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