ACLJ: Miguel Estrada Decision to Pull out is Most Troubling Sign Yet That Judicial Confirmation Process is Broken.Business Editors WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 4, 2003 The American Center The American Center is a high-rise tower in Southfield, Michigan. It was built in 1975 and stands at 26 floors, with one basement floor, for a total of 27. The building's main use is that of a typical office tower. It also includes a parking garage and retail spaces. for Law and Justice, an international public interest law firm specializing in constitutional law, said today's decision by Miguel Estrada Miguel Angel Estrada (born September 25, 1961) is an American lawyer who became embroiled in controversy following his 2001 nomination by President George W. Bush to the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. to remove his name from consideration for a seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia District of Columbia, federal district (2000 pop. 572,059, a 5.7% decrease in population since the 1990 census), 69 sq mi (179 sq km), on the east bank of the Potomac River, coextensive with the city of Washington, D.C. (the capital of the United States). is the most troubling sign yet of a judicial confirmation process that is broken. "The judicial confirmation process has gone from bad to worse with the loss of Miguel Estrada as a judicial nominee," said Jay Sekulow, Chief Counsel of the ACLJ ACLJ American Center for Law and Justice ACLJ Appleseed Center for Law and Justice (Washington, DC) , which has been active in the judicial nomination and confirmation process. "After two years, it is understandable that Miguel Estrada could no longer wait to learn whether he would ever receive an up-or-down vote by the full Senate. The unconstitutional use of the filibuster filibuster, term used to designate obstructionist tactics in legislative assemblies. It has particular reference to the U.S. Senate, where the tradition of unlimited debate is very strong. It was not until 1917 that the Senate provided for cloture (i.e. has not only badly tarnished the judicial confirmation process, but now has eliminated one of the most qualified nominees from the federal appeals court." Sekulow said: "Judicial nominees deserve a timely hearing and consideration by the full Senate. They should not have to wait years - only to find themselves in legal limbo limbo In Roman Catholicism, a region between heaven and hell, the dwelling place of souls not condemned to punishment but deprived of the joy of existence with God in heaven. The concept probably developed in the Middle Ages. - victim of a filibuster. It is time for Senate Democrats to end their strategy of obstruction and destruction. It is also time for the Senate leadership to exercise true leadership and end these filibusters. We call on the leadership to change the Senate rule requiring 60 votes to end a judicial filibuster. It is clear that such a rule is unconstitutional and that Senate leadership can and should move immediately to implement a simple majority requirement of 51 votes to end the filibusters and send the remaining nominations to the full Senate floor for a vote." With Estrada removing his name from consideration, there are now three nominees who are being filibustered: Priscilla Owen Priscilla Richman Owen (born October 4, 1954) is a federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. She was previously a Justice on the Texas Supreme Court. Owen was born in Palacios, Texas. , Carolyn Kuhl, and Bill Pryor. There are reports that future filibusters are being planned for other nominees. The American Center for Law and Justice is an international public interest law firm specializing in constitutional law. The ACLJ is based in Washington, D.C. and its web site address is www.aclj.org. |
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