[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 4 (Monday, January 8, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S49-S50]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 NOMINATION OF WILLIAM L. CAMPBELL, JR.

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, on another matter, later today the 
Senate will vote to advance the nomination of William L. Campbell, Jr., 
to serve as a U.S. district judge for the Middle District of Tennessee.
  Mr. Campbell's nomination is not controversial. Like the other three 
district court nominees before the Senate this week, he is well 
qualified. They are the kinds of nominees who, until recently, would 
have sailed quickly and smoothly right through the Senate.
  So why will their four nominations consume a week of the Senate's 
attention? Why do we need to file cloture on each, and then exhaust the 
full 30 hours of debate? The reason is that Senate Democrats are 
choosing, for partisan reasons, to make these nominations take as long 
as possible. Their goal is to waste the Senate's time and prevent the 
President from promptly filling judicial vacancies.

[[Page S50]]

  Mr. President, 2017 was a historic year of partisan obstruction by 
our Democratic colleagues, even for uncontroversial judges who went on 
to unanimous or near-unanimous confirmation votes. Our colleagues 
across the aisle used every possible procedural roadblock to delay and 
drag their heels.
  Now 2018 is, unfortunately, starting off the same way.
  Mr. Campbell is a Marine Corps veteran and a well-respected lawyer. 
His record is not partisan. His nomination was reported out of the 
Judiciary Committee on a voice vote. I look forward to the Senate 
confirming him, albeit after our Democratic colleagues waste more of 
the Senate's time.
  I implore our Democratic friends to turn the page on the needless 
obstruction and permit the Senate to function smoothly so that we can 
attend to more of the people's business.

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