News-Record.com

Congressman Howard Coble is among those calling for the Congress to confirm nominees to the Federal Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. The nominees have generally been held up by Senate Democrats because they view the appointments - made by President Bush - as too ideologically committed in their rulings.

From a news release:

Today, 21 Republican Members of the U.S. House of Representatives called on Senate Democrats to schedule hearings for the Fourth Circuit judicial nominees. In a letter to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, the House Members - who represent constituents in the Fourth Circuit - urged Senate Democrats to give the nominees an up-or-down vote.

According to the letter, the 21 Members believe that their constituents are paying the price for the judicial vacancies “as they see their cases delayed because there are not enough judges to handle the caseload on the Fourth Circuit.”

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit has a current vacancy rate of 33 percent; the nonpartisan Judicial Conference has found three of these vacancies to be "judicial emergencies." One of the seats, based in North Carolina, has been vacant for over 13 years.

Statements from several of the Members are below:

[snip]

Representative Howard Coble (R-NC): "Chief Judge Robert Conrad, who was nominated to fill the vacancy in North Carolina, is a longtime friend of mine and extremely qualified to fill this position. To leave a seat vacant for more than 5,000 days is a travesty. The people of North Carolina and the Fourth Circuit deserve better. I urge the Senate to move on this and other vacancies expeditiously."

Other Republicans also weighed in:

Representative Walter Jones (R-NC): "Many people in North Carolina rely on our federal courts, yet the Fourth Circuit seat based in North Carolina has been vacant for more than 5,000 days. The Senate’s refusal to hold a vote on President Bush’s four nominees to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit is completely unacceptable. Due to the Senate’s inaction, our citizens continue to suffer as cases get delayed because there are not enough judges to handle the Fourth Circuit caseload. My constituents deserve better."

Representative Patrick McHenry (R-NC): "By playing partisan politics with the judiciary, Senate Democrats are depriving the people of the Fourth Circuit their right to justice. They need to stop playing games and do their jobs."

Representative Sue Myrick (R-NC): "The people in North Carolina, who are served by the Fourth Circuit, deserve better. We need these judicial spots filled so that people can get justice; not a waiting line because we don't have enough judges to hear the cases."