    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: WILLIAM J. CLINTON (1999, Book II)]
    [October 5, 1999]
    [Page 1689]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Statement on Senate Action on the Nomination of Ronnie L. White To Be United States District Judge for the Eastern
    District of Missouri
    October 5, 1999

        Today the Senate defeated the nomination of Ronnie White for the
    Federal district court in Missouri. This vote was a disgraceful act of
    partisan politics by the Republican majority and creates real doubt on
    the ability of the Senate to fairly perform its constitutional duty to
    advise and consent. By voting down the first African-American judge to
    serve on the Missouri Supreme Court, the Republicans have deprived both
    the judiciary and the people of Missouri of an excellent, fair, and
    impartial Federal judge.
        Judge White was a casualty of a judicial confirmation process that
    has lost any pretense of fairness. There was never any doubt about Judge
    White's ability to apply the law impartially. To defeat the candidacy of
    Judge White, the Republican majority maligned and distorted White's
    death penalty record, falsely creating a pretext for his defeat. While
    serving on the Missouri State Supreme Court, Judge White affirmed the
    imposition of the death penalty in almost 70 percent of the cases that
    came before him. Moreover, in 10 of the 18 reported instances in which
    Judge White voted to not impose the death penalty, he did so with an
    unanimous court.
        The disappointing action of the Senate today provides strong
    evidence for those who believe that the Senate treats minority and women
    judicial nominees unequally. This is a sad day for the cause of equal
    justice.