[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 167 (Monday, November 9, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S11282-S11283]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 NOMINATION OF CHARLENE EDWARDS HONEYWELL TO BE UNITED STATES DISTRICT 
                JUDGE FOR THE MIDDLE DISTRICT OF FLORIDA

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the Senate will 
proceed to the consideration of the Honeywell nomination, which the 
clerk will report.
  The assistant legislative clerk read the nomination of Charlene 
Edwards Honeywell, of Florida, to be United States District Judge for 
the Middle District of Florida.
  Mr. LEAHY. Madam President, Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell has been 
nominated to serve on the U.S. District Court for the Middle District 
of Florida. Judge Honeywell's confirmation has been needlessly delayed. 
Judge Honeywell is a longtime State judge, last appointed by former 
Republican Governor Jeb Bush. She was one of three district court 
nominees reported by the Judiciary Committee on October 1 without 
dissent. Yet Senate consideration has been delayed for 5 weeks.
  After a 3-week wait, the Senate was allowed to consider the 
nomination of Roberto Lange, who was confirmed by the Senate 100 to 0--
unanimously--to serve on the U.S. District Court for the District of 
South Dakota after 2 hours of floor debate during which no Senator 
spoke in opposition. After a 4-week wait, the Senate was allowed to 
consider the nomination of Irene Cornelia Berger, who was confirmed by 
a vote of 97 to 0 to serve on the U.S. District Court for the Southern 
District of West Virginia after an hour of floor debate during which no 
Senator spoke in opposition. After more than 5 weeks, the Senate today 
finally considers the nomination of Judge Honeywell, and I expect a 
similar result.
  At the conclusion of the hearing to consider these nominations, 
Senator Sessions, the committee's ranking member, said:

       It's a great honor that you've been given to be nominated 
     and I expect things should go forward in a timely manner. I 
     don't believe that any of you need to be held up based on 
     what I know at this time. So, we'd like to see you get your 
     vote as soon as reasonably possible.

  I have been disappointed by Republican delays in bringing these well-
qualified, noncontroversial nominees to a vote in the full Senate.
  Judge Honeywell first served as a State court judge in 1994, and in 
2001 was appointed by Gov. Jeb Bush to serve as a State circuit court 
judge. Her legal career also includes working in private practice, 
serving as an assistant city attorney and as an assistant public 
defender. She was unanimously rated ``well-qualified'' by the American 
Bar Association's Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary, the 
committee's highest rating. She received the bipartisan support of 
Florida Senators Bill Nelson and Mel Martinez.

[[Page S11283]]

  The Senate must restore its tradition of regularly considering 
qualified, noncontroversial nominees to fill vacancies on the Federal 
bench without needless and harmful delays. This is a tradition followed 
with Republican Presidents and Democratic Presidents.
  I congratulate Judge Honeywell and her family on her confirmation 
today.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is, Will the Senate advise and 
consent to the nomination of Charlene Edwards Honeywell, of Florida, to 
be United States District Judge for the Middle District of Florida?
  Mr. CONRAD. I ask for the yeas and nays.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
  There appears to be a sufficient second.
  The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk called the roll.
  Mr. DURBIN: I announce that the Senator from West Virginia (Mr. 
Byrd), the Senator from North Dakota (Mr. Dorgan), the Senator from 
Massachusetts (Mr. Kerry), and the Senator from Florida (Mr. Nelson) 
are necessarily absent.
  Mr. KYL. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator 
from Missouri (Mr. Bond), the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Burr), 
the Senator from Georgia (Mr. Chambliss), the Senator from Texas (Mr. 
Cornyn), the Senator from New Hampshire (Mr. Gregg), the Senator from 
Texas (Mrs. Hutchison), the Senator from Georgia (Mr. Isakson), and the 
Senator from Idaho (Mr. Risch).
  Further, if present and voting, the Senator from Texas (Mr. Cornyn) 
would have voted: ``yea.''
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Are there any other Senators in the Chamber 
desiring to vote?
  The result was announced--yeas 88, nays 0, as follows:

                      [Rollcall Vote No. 343 Ex.]

                                YEAS--88

     Akaka
     Alexander
     Barrasso
     Baucus
     Bayh
     Begich
     Bennet
     Bennett
     Bingaman
     Boxer
     Brown
     Brownback
     Bunning
     Burris
     Cantwell
     Cardin
     Carper
     Casey
     Coburn
     Cochran
     Collins
     Conrad
     Corker
     Crapo
     DeMint
     Dodd
     Durbin
     Ensign
     Enzi
     Feingold
     Feinstein
     Franken
     Gillibrand
     Graham
     Grassley
     Hagan
     Harkin
     Hatch
     Inhofe
     Inouye
     Johanns
     Johnson
     Kaufman
     Kirk
     Klobuchar
     Kohl
     Kyl
     Landrieu
     Lautenberg
     Leahy
     LeMieux
     Levin
     Lieberman
     Lincoln
     Lugar
     McCain
     McCaskill
     McConnell
     Menendez
     Merkley
     Mikulski
     Murkowski
     Murray
     Nelson (NE)
     Pryor
     Reed
     Reid
     Roberts
     Rockefeller
     Sanders
     Schumer
     Sessions
     Shaheen
     Shelby
     Snowe
     Specter
     Stabenow
     Tester
     Thune
     Udall (CO)
     Udall (NM)
     Vitter
     Voinovich
     Warner
     Webb
     Whitehouse
     Wicker
     Wyden

                             NOT VOTING--12

     Bond
     Burr
     Byrd
     Chambliss
     Cornyn
     Dorgan
     Gregg
     Hutchison
     Isakson
     Kerry
     Nelson (FL)
     Risch
  The nomination was confirmed.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the President will 
be immediately notified of the Senate's action.

                          ____________________