[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2003, Book I)]
[April 29, 2003]
[Pages 395-396]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Statement on Senate Confirmation of Jeffrey S. Sutton as a United States Court of Appeals Circuit Judge
April 29, 2003

    I commend the Senate for confirming Jeffrey Sutton to be a Judge on 
the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Mr. Sutton is a man of 
great integrity, intellect, and experience, and has bipartisan support. 
He has served the people of Ohio with distinction, including as the 
State's solicitor. He graduated first in his class from Ohio State 
University College of Law. He is known as one of the premier appellate 
lawyers in America, having argued numerous cases before the Supreme 
Court of the United States, and State and Federal appeals courts. He 
will be an outstanding Court of Appeals Judge and will serve the 
American people well.
    All judicial nominees should receive a timely up-or-down vote in the 
Senate. Mr. Sutton was nominated on May 9, 2001, and waited more than 23 
months for this vote. Five of the 11 nominees I submitted to the Senate 
on May 9, 2001, still have not received votes. Some in the Senate are 
now engaging in unprecedented filibusters to

[[Page 396]]

prevent votes on two outstanding circuit nominees I submitted on May 9, 
2001, Miguel Estrada and Priscilla 
Owen. Richman
    The delays in the Senate confirmation process deter good people from 
seeking to serve on the bench and create a vacancy crisis in the Federal 
courts that harms the American people. As I have said before, I call on 
the Senate to perform its Constitutional responsibility to hold timely 
up-or-down votes on all judicial nominees, no matter who is President or 
which party controls the Senate.