Senate Proceeding on Sep 29th, 2009 :: 5:36:55 to 5:48:00
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5:36:41 to 5:37:03( Edit History Discussion )

Patrick Leahy: available to each side? the pro siding officer: 17 1/2 minutes chairman. 5 1/2 minutes remain with the republican -- the vice chairman. mr. leahy: thank you. thank you very much.

5:36:55 to 5:48:00( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Patrick Leahy

5:37:04 to 5:37:26( Edit History Discussion )

Patrick Leahy: i thank the distinguished presiding officer, my dear friend from new jersey. we're considering the nomination of jeffrey viken for a lifetime appointment to the u.s. district court dakota. the distinguished senior senator from south dakota,

5:37:27 to 5:37:51( Edit History Discussion )

Patrick Leahy: has already spoken, and this nominee is here with his strong -- with senator strong support. president obama nominated mr. viken. senator johnson had sup him, and senator thune,

5:37:52 to 5:38:14( Edit History Discussion )

Patrick Leahy: bipartisan support. it's going to b the senate confirm -- even though it's almost the end of september, it's the first senate confirmation for a federal district court judge and the first to fill one of 74 current federal trial court vacancies.

5:38:15 to 5:38:35( Edit History Discussion )

Patrick Leahy: there are more vacancies throughout the feral judiciary, and we're soon to be at near-record level. i accommodated the ranking member and other republicans on the judiciary committee by postponing a hearing on mr. viken's nomination while we considered the recent supreme

5:38:36 to 5:38:56( Edit History Discussion )

Patrick Leahy: court nomination or the name would have been here but i am pleased that the committee unanimously reported the nomination at the beginning of this month by a and i think that the vote tonight gu overwhelmingly positive vote,

5:38:57 to 5:39:17( Edit History Discussion )

Patrick Leahy: and i hope it's a sign that we might finally, finally start making some progress on judicial nominations and do expeditiously. the senate has to do a better of regularly considering qualified, noncontroversial nominees to fill vacancies on the federal bench without

5:39:18 to 5:39:38( Edit History Discussion )

Patrick Leahy: needless and i look around this chamber. i believe i have been here longer than anybo presently on the floor. i saw my distinguished colleague, senator inouye, who has served here longer than i have. i have been here 35 years. i have been here under both

5:39:39 to 5:40:01( Edit History Discussion )

Patrick Leahy: republican and democratic presidents. i have never seen a situation where there is this kind of s walking of we have got to go back to the way we have traditionally done it for the good of the country. i mention that during -- i was briefly chairman of the judiciary committee during

5:40:02 to 5:40:23( Edit History Discussion )

Patrick Leahy: presiden even though we had hadhe unfortunate expernce of 61 of president clinton's nominees being pocket filibustered then-republican majority, when i came in during

5:40:24 to 5:40:45( Edit History Discussion )

Patrick Leahy: a year and a half, 100 of pres nominees. an all-time record. an getting nominees through. that was by a democratic majority with a republican president. now, i do want to thank the committee's ranking member, senator sessions.

5:40:46 to 5:41:09( Edit History Discussion )

Patrick Leahy: i see senator sessions on the floor. i do want to thank him. i, as i back this nominee, the viken nomination, because of the nomination for sotom

5:41:10 to 5:41:31( Edit History Discussion )

Patrick Leahy: give time to prepare. sotomayor we moved quickly through. i want to thank him for his nomination of mr. viken at our business meeting on september 10 without an unnecessary holdover period. unfortunately, now that it been on the calendar, still it ha to schedule senate approval of a noncontroversial nominee who is

5:41:32 to 5:41:54( Edit History Discussion )

Patrick Leahy: probably going to be unanimously confirmed, and should be. through the wide range of experience mr. viken has. he is currently the federal defender for the combined districts of north dakota and south dakota. not just the population, but for those of us who hav

5:41:55 to 5:42:15( Edit History Discussion )

Patrick Leahy: new england, the area is covered -- the areas enormous. he served as attorney. is acting u. attorney for south dak he spent more than two decades in private practice. he has been both prosecutor and defender. his nomination

5:42:16 to 5:42:37( Edit History Discussion )

Patrick Leahy: highest rating possible. well qualified for the american bar association's standing committee on the federal judiciary. i would urge senators to give him a strong bipartisan vote. and then do a better job of filling the rising number of judicial vacancies to ensure that justice is denied to any american because

5:42:38 to 5:42:58( Edit History Discussion )

Patrick Leahy: of overburdened courts. and i would hope that threatening filibusters of president obama's judicial nominees, the other s work to treat his nominees fairly, as did i with president bush's nominees. i point out by this time in president bush's first term, we

5:42:59 to 5:43:21( Edit History Discussion )

Patrick Leahy: had already confirmed six of his nominations to and district courts. we have confirmed one of president obama's nominees to circuit court. nine months into president obama's first term, we confirmed only one of his lower court nominees, even though he made

5:43:22 to 5:43:44( Edit History Discussion )

Patrick Leahy: those nominees two months earlier than president bush did. we can do better. not just that the senate can do better. the american people deserve better. afte months of delay, on september 17, the senate finally confirmed serve in the second circuit. i know that circuit well.

5:43:45 to 5:44:06( Edit History Discussion )

Patrick Leahy: that's theircuit that i -- admitted to. it covers the states of vermont, new york and connecticut. despite the fact that judge lynch's nomination was noncontroversial, despite the fact it was reported out of committee unanimously with the strong support of republican and democratic members, it still took three months after his

5:44:07 to 5:44:28( Edit History Discussion )

Patrick Leahy: nomination was reported by the committee for the senate to confirm it. delayed and delayed and and you would think there must be some controversy, but finally voted, the vote was 94-3. now, months because

5:44:29 to 5:44:49( Edit History Discussion )

Patrick Leahy: of 100 senators want to hold it up, that's not being responsible, a that's not showing the type of deference the -- to the judiciary that we should. in the to the judiciary committee remain pending on the executive calendar, some of them from back be

5:44:50 to 5:45:10( Edit History Discussion )

Patrick Leahy: five of the nominations are for appointments to be assistant attorneys general at department of justice. five out of a total of 11 divisions at the department. as a result of the senate's delay and inaction, five crital divisions at the department. the office of legal counsel, the civil rights division, the tax

5:45:11 to 5:45:32( Edit History Discussion )

Patrick Leahy: division, the office of legal policy, and the environment and natural resources division. just think of that. five critical parts of the justice department remain without presidential nominees. now, republicans have held these up, even though e president

5:45:33 to 5:45:53( Edit History Discussion )

Patrick Leahy: even though they've passed out of the senate judiciary committee. if you don't like the people, vote against them. let's have a vote, up orown. president obama made his first judicial nomin march. i remember it. it was snowing like mad. he nominated david hamilton to

5:45:54 to 5:46:17( Edit History Discussion )

Patrick Leahy: the seventh circuit. that's been on the executive calendar since early june, even though it has the support of the senior-most republican in the senate and one of the most distinguished senators of either party that's ever served, nator lugar. the nomination of judge davis to the fourth circuit was reported by the committee on

5:46:18 to 5:46:38( Edit History Discussion )

Patrick Leahy: june 4 by a vote of 16-3. can't get it con senate. these nominatio of judge beverly martin to the 11th circuit was reported unanimously from the on september 10 and strongly supported by the two republican

5:46:39 to 5:47:00( Edit History Discussion )

Patrick Leahy: senators from her state. still can't get it scheduled or considered. now, are soon 120 unless we start moving forward. i mention that just because we should have the history before us. at least the one bright spot is

5:47:01 to 5:47:21( Edit History Discussion )

Patrick Leahy: moving mr. viken at 5:15, it is a mr. viken. at 6:15, it will be judge viken. i congratulate him and his family. i remember him coming before our committee, a wonderful pen, a wonderful family. i can see why the two senators --

5:47:22 to 5:47:42( Edit History Discussion )

Patrick Leahy: democratic senator, junior senator, a republican senator -- both support he should be a judge. but moving these a little more expeditiously. mr. president, what is the time

5:47:43 to 5:48:00( Edit History Discussion )

Patrick Leahy: the presiding officer: the senator has six minutes, 45 seconds the minority has five and a half minutes. mr. leahy: i suggest the absence of a quorum and ask