[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 92 (Thursday, June 26, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6492-S6493]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           JUDICIAL VACANCIES

  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, last week I spoke at some length about the 
crisis being created by our failure to move forward expeditiously to 
fill longstanding judicial vacancies. This week, we have the 
opportunity to double our confirmations by taking up and approving the 
five judicial nominees on the Senate Executive Calendar. As the Senate 
approaches its fifth extended recess, it have found time to confirm 
only five Federal judges of the 38 nominees the President has sent to 
us. That is less than one judge per month.
  We continue to fall farther and farther behind the pace established 
by Senator Dole and Senator Hatch in the last Congress. By this time 2 
years ago, Senator Hatch had held six confirmation hearings involving 
26 judicial nominees and the Senate had proceeded to confirm 26 Federal 
judges by the end of June--during one of the busiest periods ever, 
during the first 100 days of the Republicans' Contract with America.
  I have spoken often about the crisis being created by the 100 
vacancies that are being perpetuated on the Federal courts around the 
country, as has the Chief Justice of the United States. At the rate 
that we are currently going more and more vacancies are continuing to 
mount over longer and longer times to the detriment of greater numbers 
of Americans and the national cause of prompt justice.

[[Page S6493]]

  There are another five highly-qualified judicial nominees on the 
Senate calendar. They should not be held hostage to the resolution of 
other disputes. I urge the Republican leadership not to use the 
judiciary as a political pressure point or to involve the judiciary in 
disagreement over other matters. I would hope that the Senate would 
move to confirm these five additional judges this week before we 
adjourn for the 4th of July.

                          ____________________