Press Release

April 26, 2016
Justice Deferred: Cardin Calls for Votes to Clear Backlog of Federal Judges

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a former member of the Senate Judiciary Committee (2007-2010), today joined fellow Senate Democrats in making multiple unanimous consent requests to confirm numerous judicial nominees that have been languishing on the executive calendar. The Senate Republican leadership objected to each request.

 

“While millions of Americans across the Northeast head to the polls to perform their civic duty, Republicans continue to willfully ignore their duties in the Senate. Since taking the majority in the Senate, Republicans have allowed vacancies on federal courts to dramatically rise from 43 to 79. More than a year into this new Congress, the Republican leadership has allowed only 17 judges to be confirmed. By way of comparison, in the last two years of the Bush administration – with a Democratic majority – the Senate confirmed 68 judges, including 28 judges in 2008, prior to the presidential election.” said Senator Cardin.

 

“Paula Xinis of Maryland is an eminently qualified nominee and is just one of 20 judicial nominees reported unanimously out of committee that are now pending on the Senate executive calendar.  Ms. Xinis was nominated more than a year ago by the President, and would fill a seat which has been declared a judicial emergency and has been vacant since October 2014.  Justice delayed is justice denied for Marylanders seeking access to the judicial system.  We need a fully functioning judiciary in Maryland and across the nation.  The President has done his job, and now the Senate needs to do its job under the Constitution.”

 

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