Partisan Blockade Goes Beyond Normal Politics  

(Washington, D.C.) - Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) today called on Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) to proceed with the confirmation process for the 87 federal court nominees currently pending.

"Whether Pat Leahy and some radical pressure groups like it or not, George W. Bush is president of the United States," CAGW President Tom Schatz said.  "As such, he has the obligation to fill federal court vacancies as they arise, subject to the Senate's consent.  In this case, however, the chairman's prerogative is clearly being abused to please some on the radical left.  Not only does this embitter the judicial confirmations process and besmirch individuals' reputations, it turns the notion of an impartial judiciary on its head." 

Of the first 11 nominees sent to the Senate in the past year, only three have received hearings from the Senate Judiciary Committee.  Among the 12 circuit courts, one of every six judgeships is unfilled.  A total of nine of 30 of Bush's nominees has been confirmed to date.

"It would be one thing if the president's nominees were truly 'outside the mainstream,' as some have argued," Schatz also said.  "That is a legitimate question for debate by the full Senate before an up or down vote.  Since every Bush nominee so far has received a well-qualified or qualified rating from the American Bar Association, I suspect Sen. Leahy and his cohorts know the Bush nominees are entirely in the mainstream and would pass if given a fair shake."        

"After a point, leaving important judgeships unfilled interferes with the administration of justice," Schatz concluded.  "The country expects better from its leaders and will not look kindly on politicians who abuse the appointment process to score partisan points.  Let the full Senate have its say."

Citizens Against Government Waste is the nation's largest nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in government.