[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 198 (Wednesday, December 11, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S6960]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                     Nomination of Lawrence VanDyke

  Mr. President, the VanDyke nomination, today, the Senate will vote on 
the confirmation of Lawrence VanDyke to serve on the Ninth Circuit 
Court of Appeals. After seeing so many radical and unfit judicial 
appointments over the past few years, I am almost surprised President 
Trump is still able to find nominees like Mr. VanDyke who is 
unqualified, even in comparison to some of the worst nominees we have 
seen under this administration.
  VanDyke has a history of bigoted writing about LGBTQ Americans, 
radical views on even the most commonsense gun safety legislation, and 
a proven hostility to reproductive rights. On top of his radical views, 
Mr. VanDyke has received stunningly negative reviews on his 
qualifications and temperament. The American Bar Association doesn't do 
this much, but it rated him ``Not Qualified.'' In over 60 interviews 
with Mr. VanDyke's colleagues, he was described as ``arrogant, lazy, an 
ideologue, and lacking in knowledge of the day-to-day practice, 
including procedural rules.''
  It went on to say, ``The nominee lacks humility, has an `entitlement' 
temperament, does not have an open mind, and does not always have a 
commitment to being candid and truthful.''
  This is whom we are voting on today, my Republican friends. What is 
going on? Because someone is hard right and radical, we excuse all of 
their personality defects found by the ABA? And, amazingly, this is 
someone not even for a district court but the circuit court. This is 
getting to the point of utter absurdity.
  For obvious reasons, both home State Senators objected to VanDyke's 
nomination. In the past, the Senate would respect those objections. It 
would be a check on someone so unqualified on getting to the bench, but 
Leader McConnell and Senate Republicans are in such a rush to fill the 
bench with these hard-right nominees that they have blown through 
Senate traditions and most standards of reason and good judgment.
  Please reject this nominee. He is so unqualified. He is a low human 
being--at least according to all of this--and he will have a lifetime 
appointment on the circuit bench? That would indicate the decline of 
America, one more indication, unfortunately, propagated by this 
administration.