Judicial nominees need floor votes

Regardless of one's reaction to the verbal attacks on judges discussed in the Thursday editorial, "Threatening judicial independence: Gingrich's dangerous ideas," everyone should agree that the Senate is already harming federal courts. Justice delayed is justice denied, as obstruction has resulted in an unprecedented lack of federal judges.

Unexplained and unjustifiable objections by unnamed Senate Republicans repeatedly have blocked floor votes on consensus judicial nominees with home-state senator support. Sixteen of these were approved unanimously by the Judiciary Committee, including Thomas Rice for a Washington state federal district court and Jacqueline Nguyen, who would fill a judicial emergency on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which includes Washington state.

After the Senate left until late January, Utah Republican Sen. Mike Lee said about his state's nominee "There is absolutely no reason why we shouldn't have confirmed him before we got out."

Washington Sens. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell should work with Sen. Lee and others to ensure that committee-approved judicial nominees receive floor votes.

(Since 2001 I have headed the environmental community's Judging the Environment project on federal judicial nominations.)

Glenn Sugameli
Staff Attorney,
Judging the Environment,
Defenders of Wildlife
Washington, D.C.