Barack Obama judicial appointment controversies
Encyclopedia
As of December 2010, President
Barack Obama
has nominated one hundred five individuals for federal judgeships
. The overwhelming majority of them have been filibustered, only to eventually be confirmed by wide or unanimous margins. To date, four of the filibusters have been brought to a cloture
vote. Three cloture votes were successful in breaking the filibusters, while the cloture vote on the nomination of Goodwin Liu
failed. Many nominations expired with the adjournment of the 111th Congress, but all were renominated in the 112th Congress with the exception of Robert Chatigny. NPR
commented on the pattern of delay for certain nominees in an August 4, 2011 article, stating that "Some of the longest waiting nominees, Louis Butler of Wisconsin, Charles Bernard Day
of Maryland and Edward Dumont of Washington happen to be black or openly gay". The nominations of Day and DuMont have since been withdrawn.
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
has nominated one hundred five individuals for federal judgeships
United States federal judge
In the United States, the title of federal judge usually means a judge appointed by the President of the United States and confirmed by the United States Senate in accordance with Article II of the United States Constitution....
. The overwhelming majority of them have been filibustered, only to eventually be confirmed by wide or unanimous margins. To date, four of the filibusters have been brought to a cloture
Cloture
In parliamentary procedure, cloture is a motion or process aimed at bringing debate to a quick end. It is also called closure or, informally, a guillotine. The cloture procedure originated in the French National Assembly, from which the name is taken. Clôture is French for "ending" or "conclusion"...
vote. Three cloture votes were successful in breaking the filibusters, while the cloture vote on the nomination of Goodwin Liu
Goodwin Liu
Goodwin Hon Liu is an American lawyer and educator who currently serves as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of California. Before his appointment by California Governor Jerry Brown, Liu was Associate Dean and Professor of Law at the University of California, Berkeley School of Law...
failed. Many nominations expired with the adjournment of the 111th Congress, but all were renominated in the 112th Congress with the exception of Robert Chatigny. NPR
NPR
NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
commented on the pattern of delay for certain nominees in an August 4, 2011 article, stating that "Some of the longest waiting nominees, Louis Butler of Wisconsin, Charles Bernard Day
Charles Bernard Day
Charles Bernard Day is a United States magistrate judge and former nominee to be a United States district judge on the United States District Court for the District of Maryland...
of Maryland and Edward Dumont of Washington happen to be black or openly gay". The nominations of Day and DuMont have since been withdrawn.
Failed nominees
- United States Court of Appeals for the Second CircuitUnited States Court of Appeals for the Second CircuitThe United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit is one of the thirteen United States Courts of Appeals...
- Robert Chatigny (of ConnecticutConnecticutConnecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
), to seat vacated by Guido Calabresi: During the 111th Congress, Connecticut Senator Chris Dodd recommended Chatigny for a judgeship on the Second Circuit. Chatigny was nominated on February 24, 2010. His nomination was returned by the Senate on August 5, 2010. Chatigny removed his name from consideration, and he was not renominated when the 112th Congress convened. Critics of Chatigny's nomination highlighted his performance during the trial of serial killerSerial killerA serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
Michael Bruce Ross, for whom Chatigny granted a temporary stay of executionStay of executionA stay of execution is a court order to temporarily suspend the execution of a court judgment or other court order. The word "execution" does not necessarily mean the death penalty; it refers to the imposition of whatever judgment is being stayed....
.
- Robert Chatigny (of Connecticut
- United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth CircuitUnited States Court of Appeals for the Ninth CircuitThe United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit is a U.S. federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* District of Alaska* District of Arizona...
- Goodwin LiuGoodwin LiuGoodwin Hon Liu is an American lawyer and educator who currently serves as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of California. Before his appointment by California Governor Jerry Brown, Liu was Associate Dean and Professor of Law at the University of California, Berkeley School of Law...
(of CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
), to newly created seat: Liu was nominated on February 24, 2010. His nomination was returned by the Senate on August 5, 2010. Liu has faced opposition due to his support of same-sex marriageSame-sex marriageSame-sex marriage is marriage between two persons of the same biological sex or social gender. Supporters of legal recognition for same-sex marriage typically refer to such recognition as marriage equality....
and affirmative actionAffirmative action in the United StatesIn the United States, affirmative action refers to equal opportunity employment measures that Federal contractors and subcontractors are legally required to adopt. These measures are intended to prevent discrimination against employees or applicants for employment, on the basis of "color,...
, and for his criticism of the Supreme Court nominations of John RobertsJohn RobertsJohn Glover Roberts, Jr. is the 17th and current Chief Justice of the United States. He has served since 2005, having been nominated by President George W. Bush after the death of Chief Justice William Rehnquist...
and Samuel AlitoSamuel AlitoSamuel Anthony Alito, Jr. is an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. He was nominated by President George W. Bush and has served on the court since January 31, 2006....
. Republican opposition to Liu is also due in part to his being considered a possible Supreme Court candidate given his youth and Asian AmericanAsian AmericanAsian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,...
heritage. Liu was renominated at the start of the 112th Congress. On May 17, 2011, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid filed for clotureClotureIn parliamentary procedure, cloture is a motion or process aimed at bringing debate to a quick end. It is also called closure or, informally, a guillotine. The cloture procedure originated in the French National Assembly, from which the name is taken. Clôture is French for "ending" or "conclusion"...
on Liu's nomination, with 60 votes needed to proceed to an up-or-down vote on Liu's nomination. The cloture motion attracted only 52 of the 60 aye votes required. On May 25, 2011, Liu wrote to President Obama requesting that his nomination be withdrawn due to the improbability that he would receive an up-or-down vote.
- Goodwin Liu
- United States Court of Appeals for the Federal CircuitUnited States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit-Vacancies and pending nominations:-List of former judges:-Chief judges:Notwithstanding the foregoing, when the court was initially created, Congress had to resolve which chief judge of the predecessor courts would become the first chief judge...
- Edward C. DuMontEdward C. DuMontEdward Carroll DuMont is an American lawyer who in 2010 and 2011 had been nominated by President Barack Obama to a seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. In November 2011, however, DuMont sent a letter to President Obama asking him to withdraw his nomination to the...
: DuMont was nominated to the Federal Circuit on April 14, 2010. The nomination languished for 18 months before United States Senate Committee on the JudiciaryUnited States Senate Committee on the JudiciaryThe United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary is a standing committee of the United States Senate, of the United States Congress. The Judiciary Committee, with 18 members, is charged with conducting hearings prior to the Senate votes on confirmation of federal judges nominated by the...
, which never scheduled a hearing on it, despite having had hearings and votes for two later nominees to the same court. A spokesperson for Senator Chuck GrassleyChuck GrassleyCharles Ernest "Chuck" Grassley is the senior United States Senator from Iowa . A member of Republican Party, he previously served in the served in the United States House of Representatives and the Iowa state legislature...
, the ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said in August 2011 only that "There are questions in Mr. DuMont's background investigation that have to be resolved." If confirmed, DuMont would have been the first openly gay United States appeals courtUnited States courts of appealsThe United States courts of appeals are the intermediate appellate courts of the United States federal court system...
judge. In November 2011, the National Law Journal reported that DuMont has submitted a letter to President Obama, asking that the president withdraw his nomination because one or more senators of the minority party on United States Senate Committee on the JudiciaryUnited States Senate Committee on the JudiciaryThe United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary is a standing committee of the United States Senate, of the United States Congress. The Judiciary Committee, with 18 members, is charged with conducting hearings prior to the Senate votes on confirmation of federal judges nominated by the...
refused to allow the committee to give him a hearing . Obama withdrew his nomination later that day .
- Edward C. DuMont
Stalled nominees
- United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh CircuitUnited States Court of Appeals for the Seventh CircuitThe United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the courts in the following districts:* Central District of Illinois* Northern District of Illinois...
- Victoria F. NourseVictoria F. NourseVictoria Frances Nourse is currently the Burrus-Bascom Professor of Law at the University of Wisconsin School of Law. She is also the nominee for the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.-Early life and education:...
(of WisconsinWisconsinWisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
), to seat vacated by Terence T. EvansTerence T. EvansTerence Thomas Evans was a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.Evans received a B.A.degree from Marquette University in 1962 and his J.D. degree from Marquette University Law School in 1967. He was assistant district attorney for Milwaukee County, Wisconsin and was...
: After defeating Senator Russ FeingoldRuss FeingoldRussell Dana "Russ" Feingold is an American politician from the U.S. state of Wisconsin. He served as a Democratic party member of the U.S. Senate from 1993 to 2011. From 1983 to 1993, Feingold was a Wisconsin State Senator representing the 27th District.He is a recipient of the John F...
in the 2010 midterm electionsUnited States Senate election in Wisconsin, 2010The 2010 United States Senate election in Wisconsin was held on November 2, 2010. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Russ Feingold ran for re-election to a fourth term, but was defeated by political newcomer Republican Ron Johnson.- Candidates :On the ballot...
, Senator Ron Johnson blocked Nourse's nomination.
- Victoria F. Nourse
- United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth CircuitUnited States Court of Appeals for the Tenth CircuitThe United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* District of Colorado* District of Kansas...
- Stephen SixStephen SixStephen N. Six is an American attorney and former judge from Kansas who served as Kansas' 43rd Attorney General. He was nominated to serve as a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit on March 9, 2011...
(of KansasKansasKansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
), to seat vacated by Deanell Reece TachaDeanell Reece TachaDeanell Reece Tacha is a retired United States federal judge who served on the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit....
:
- Stephen Six
Successfully appointed nominees
- United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth CircuitUnited States Court of Appeals for the Fourth CircuitThe United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit is a federal court located in Richmond, Virginia, with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:*District of Maryland*Eastern District of North Carolina...
- Barbara Milano KeenanBarbara Milano KeenanBarbara Milano Keenan is a judge on United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and a former justice on the Supreme Court of Virginia.- Early life and education :...
(of VirginiaVirginiaThe Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
), to seat vacated by H. Emory Widener: Keenan was nominated on September 14, 2009. Cloture was successfully invoked on March 2, 2010 by a vote of 99-0, and Keenan was confirmed later that day by a vote of 99-0. Keenan's nomination was not considered controversial, but was subjected to what Virginia Senator Mark WarnerMark WarnerMark Robert Warner is an American politician and businessman, currently serving in the United States Senate as the junior senator from the Commonwealth of Virginia. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Warner was the 69th governor of Virginia from 2002 to 2006 and is the honorary chairman of...
called "unnecessary filibusters that came to an end with two unanimous, bipartisan votes." Prior to Obama's successful appointment of Keenan, President George W. BushGeorge W. BushGeorge Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
had unsuccessfullyGeorge W. Bush judicial appointment controversiesDuring President George W. Bush's two term tenure in office, he nominated thirty-nine people for twenty-seven different federal appellate judgeships that were blocked by the Senate Democrats either directly in the Senate Judiciary Committee or on the full Senate floor using a filibuster....
nominated three separate individuals to succeed Judge Widener: William J. HaynesWilliam J. Haynes, IIWilliam James "Jim" Haynes II is an American lawyer and former General Counsel of the Department of Defense during President George W. Bush's administration. Haynes resigned as General Counsel effective March 2008...
, who was initially nominated in September 2003 and withdrew from consideration in January 2007; E. Duncan GetchellE. Duncan GetchellEarle Duncan Getchell, Jr. is an American lawyer and a former nominee to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. Getchell is currently Solicitor General of Virginia.-Background:...
, who was nominated in September 2007 and withdrew from consideration in January 2008; and Glen E. ConradGlen E. ConradGlen Edward Conrad is a U.S. district judge on the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia and a former federal judicial nominee to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.- Background :...
, whose nomination in May 2008 expired at the end of Bush's presidency in January 2009.
- Barbara Milano Keenan
- United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh CircuitUnited States Court of Appeals for the Seventh CircuitThe United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the courts in the following districts:* Central District of Illinois* Northern District of Illinois...
- David F. HamiltonDavid Hamilton (judge)David Frank Hamilton is a United States federal judge, currently serving on the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. He previously was the Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana. On March 17, 2009, President Barack Obama nominated...
(of IndianaIndianaIndiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
), to seat vacated by Kenneth F. RippleKenneth Francis RippleKenneth Francis Ripple is a Senior Circuit Judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. He received an A.B...
: Hamilton was nominated on March 17, 2009. Cloture was successfully invoked on November 17, 2009 by a vote of 70-29, and Hamilton was confirmed on November 19, 2009 by a vote of 59-39. Hamilton's nomination generated opposition from groups who objected to some of his rulings while serving as a judge on the District Court for the Southern District of IndianaUnited States District Court for the Southern District of IndianaThe U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana was created in 1928 by an act of Congress that split Indiana into two separate districts, northern and southern. The Southern District is divided into four divisions, Indianapolis, Terre Haute, Evansville and New Albany...
, particularly those dealing with abortion and prayer. However, Hamilton received the support of both Senators from Indiana, including RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Senator Richard Lugar. Lugar was the only Republican to vote for final confirmation of Hamilton. Prior to Obama's successful appointment of Hamilton, President George W. BushGeorge W. BushGeorge Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
had unsuccessfullyGeorge W. Bush judicial appointment controversiesDuring President George W. Bush's two term tenure in office, he nominated thirty-nine people for twenty-seven different federal appellate judgeships that were blocked by the Senate Democrats either directly in the Senate Judiciary Committee or on the full Senate floor using a filibuster....
nominated Philip P. SimonPhilip P. Simon- Early life and education :Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Simon received a B.A. from the University of Iowa in 1984. He earned a J.D. from Indiana University School of Law in 1987.- Professional career :...
to succeed Judge Ripple, who assumed senior statusSenior statusSenior status is a form of semi-retirement for United States federal judges, and judges in some state court systems. After federal judges have reached a certain combination of age and years of service on the federal courts, they are allowed to assume senior status...
in September 2008.
- David F. Hamilton
Failed nominees
- United States District Court for the District of MarylandUnited States District Court for the District of MarylandThe United States District Court for the District of Maryland is the Federal district court whose jurisdiction is the state of Maryland....
- Charles Bernard DayCharles Bernard DayCharles Bernard Day is a United States magistrate judge and former nominee to be a United States district judge on the United States District Court for the District of Maryland...
: Day, a magistrate judge in Maryland, was initially nominated in July 2010, but his nomination was withdrawn by President Barack ObamaBarack ObamaBarack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
on October 31, 2011. According to Senators Barbara MikulskiBarbara MikulskiBarbara Ann Mikulski is the senior United States Senator from Maryland and a member of the Democratic Party. Mikulski, a former U.S. Representative, is the longest-serving female senator in U.S...
and Ben CardinBen CardinBenjamin Louis "Ben" Cardin is the junior United States Senator from Maryland and a member of the Democratic Party. Before his election to the Senate, Cardin was a member of the United States House of Representatives, representing from 1987 to 2007.Cardin was elected to succeed Paul Sarbanes in...
, Day was blocked from receiving a hearing by Senate Republicans.
- Charles Bernard Day
Stalled nominees
- United States District Court for the Northern District of OklahomaUnited States District Court for the Northern District of OklahomaThe United States District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma is the Federal district court for a portion of the state of Oklahoma....
- Arvo MikkanenArvo MikkanenArvo Quoetone Mikkanen is an Assistant United States Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma and a current federal judicial nominee for the United States District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma.-Early life and education:...
: Mikkanen was nominated after being recommended by DemocraticDemocratic Party (United States)The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
GovernorGovernor of OklahomaThe governor of the state of Oklahoma is the head of state for the state of Oklahoma, United States. Under the Oklahoma Constitution, the governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the Oklahoma executive branch, of the government of Oklahoma...
Brad HenryBrad HenryCharles Bradford "Brad" Henry was the 26th Governor of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. A member of the Democratic Party, he was elected governor in 2002...
. His nomination was immediately met with opposition from members of Oklahoma's congressional delegationUnited States Congressional Delegations from OklahomaThese are tables of congressional delegations from Oklahoma to the United States Senate and United States House of Representatives.-United States Senate:-Passages:-1889 - 1907: One non-voting delegate:-1907 - 1913: Five seats:...
, with RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Senators James Inhofe and Tom CoburnTom CoburnThomas Allen "Tom" Coburn, M.D. , is an American politician, medical doctor, and Southern Baptist deacon. A member of the Republican Party, he currently serves as the junior U.S. Senator from Oklahoma. In the Senate, he is known as "Dr. No" for his tendency to place holds on and vote against bills...
and Democratic Representative Dan BorenDan BorenDaniel David "Dan" Boren is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2005. The district includes most of the eastern part of the state outside of Tulsa...
expressing disappointment that they were not consulted on the nomination. However, the Obama White House disputes that they did not consult with the Oklahoma congressional delegation. Public opposition to Mikkanen's nomination has centered around procedural grounds rather than substantive issues about Mikkanen himself.
- Arvo Mikkanen
- United States District Court for the Western District of WisconsinUnited States District Court for the Western District of WisconsinThe U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin sits in Madison at the Robert W. Kastenmeier United States Courthouse. It has two district judges and one full-time magistrate judge. The clerk of the court is a part-time magistrate judge...
- Louis B. ButlerLouis B. ButlerLouis Bennett Butler, Jr. is a former justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Butler was appointed to the Supreme Court by Governor Jim Doyle in August 2004; his term expired on July 31, 2008. He is the first African-American to serve on the Wisconsin Supreme Court.Louis Butler was born and...
: Butler was appointed to the Wisconsin Supreme CourtWisconsin Supreme CourtThe Wisconsin Supreme Court is the highest appellate court in the state of Wisconsin. The Supreme Court has jurisdiction over original actions, appeals from lower courts, and regulation or administration of the practice of law in Wisconsin.-Location:...
in 2004, but he narrowly lost the 2008 election to retain the seatWisconsin state elections, 2008The Wisconsin spring nonpartisan general election was held April 1, 2008. Voters statewide cast ballots for Wisconsin Supreme Court and an amendment to the state Constitution.The Wisconsin fall partisan primary was held on September 9, 2008...
. Critics argued that Butler should not be appointed to the federal bench after having been rejected by the voters of his state.
- Louis B. Butler
- United States District Court for the Northern District of GeorgiaUnited States District Court for the Northern District of GeorgiaThe United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia is a United States District Court which serves the residents of forty-six counties...
- Natasha Perdew SilasNatasha Perdew SilasNatasha Perdew Silas is a staff attorney at the Federal Defender Program for the Northern District of Georgia where she is based in Atlanta. She is also the nominee to a seat on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia....
: Georgia's two Republican senators, Johnny IsaksonJohnny IsaksonJohn Hardy "Johnny" Isakson is the junior United States Senator from Georgia and a member of the Republican Party. Previously, he represented in the House....
and Saxby ChamblissSaxby ChamblissClarence Saxby Chambliss, Jr. is the senior United States Senator from Georgia. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a U.S. Representative ....
, do not support Silas for reasons they have declined to discuss. As a result, Silas' nomination has not yet received a hearing before the United States Senate Committee on the JudiciaryUnited States Senate Committee on the JudiciaryThe United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary is a standing committee of the United States Senate, of the United States Congress. The Judiciary Committee, with 18 members, is charged with conducting hearings prior to the Senate votes on confirmation of federal judges nominated by the...
, despite the fact that Silas was nominated in January 2011.
- Natasha Perdew Silas
Successfully appointed nominees
- United States District Court for the District of Rhode IslandUnited States District Court for the District of Rhode IslandThe United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island is the Federal district court whose jurisdiction is the state of Rhode Island. The District Court was created in 1790 when Rhode Island ratified the Constitution...
- John J. McConnell, Jr.John J. McConnell, Jr.John James McConnell, Jr. , also known as Jack McConnell, was formerly a Rhode Island lawyer and currently a United States district judge on the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island. On May 4, 2011, cloture was successfully invoked on his nomination in a 63-33 vote. The...
: McConnell was first nominated on March 10, 2010. On May 4, 2011, the United States Senate invoked cloture on McConnell's nomination in a 63–33 vote, and he was confirmed by the Senate later that same day in a 50–44 vote. The cloture petition filed to break the filibuster against McConnell marked one of the rare instances that such a motion has been required to force a vote on a district court nominee, with only three prior instances recorded. McConnell has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to Democratic campaigns, including over eight thousand each to the campaigns of Rhode Island Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon WhitehouseSheldon WhitehouseSheldon Whitehouse is the junior U.S. Senator from Rhode Island, serving since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic Party...
. McConnell's critics contend that his prolific political contributions suggest that McConnell would be a partisanPartisan (political)In politics, a partisan is a committed member of a political party. In multi-party systems, the term is widely understood to carry a negative connotation - referring to those who wholly support their party's policies and are perhaps even reluctant to acknowledge correctness on the part of their...
judge.
- John J. McConnell, Jr.
- United States District Court for the Northern District of CaliforniaUnited States District Court for the Northern District of CaliforniaThe United States District Court for the Northern District of California is the federal United States district court whose jurisdiction comprises following counties of California: Alameda, Contra Costa, Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Monterey, Napa, San Benito, San Francisco, San...
- Edward M. ChenEdward M. ChenEdward Milton Chen is a United States District Judge on the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. On May 10, 2011, the United States Senate confirmed Chen in a 56–42 vote...
: Chen has faced opposition due to his work as an attorney for the American Civil Liberties UnionAmerican Civil Liberties UnionThe American Civil Liberties Union is a U.S. non-profit organization whose stated mission is "to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States." It works through litigation, legislation, and...
. On May 5, 2011, Senate Majority Leader Harry ReidHarry ReidHarry Mason Reid is the senior United States Senator from Nevada, serving since 1987. A member of the Democratic Party, he has been the Senate Majority Leader since January 2007, having previously served as Minority Leader and Minority and Majority Whip.Previously, Reid was a member of the U.S...
received unanimous consentUnanimous consentIn parliamentary procedure, unanimous consent, also known as general consent, or in the case of the parliaments under the Westminster system, leave of the house, is a situation in which no one present objects to a proposal. The chair may state, for instance: "If there is no objection, the motion...
from the Senate to proceed to an executive session of the Senate at a future time, eliminating the need to file for clotureClotureIn parliamentary procedure, cloture is a motion or process aimed at bringing debate to a quick end. It is also called closure or, informally, a guillotine. The cloture procedure originated in the French National Assembly, from which the name is taken. Clôture is French for "ending" or "conclusion"...
on Chen's nomination. On May 10, 2011, Chen was confirmed by the Senate by a 56-42 vote.
- Edward M. Chen
- United States District Court for the Southern District of New YorkUnited States District Court for the Southern District of New YorkThe United States District Court for the Southern District of New York is a federal district court. Appeals from the Southern District of New York are taken to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (in case...
- Alison J. NathanAlison J. NathanAlison Julie Nathan is an American lawyer and federal judge, serving on the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.- Early life and education :...
: Nathan, an openly lesbian former White House associate counsel, faced opposition from Republican Senators whether she was experienced enough and would be an activist judge. The United States Senate confirmed Nathan in a 48–44 vote on October 13, 2011.
- Alison J. Nathan
See also
- Barack Obama Supreme Court candidatesBarack Obama Supreme Court candidatesPresident Barack Obama has made two successful appointments to the Supreme Court of the United States. The first was that of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Associate Justice David H. Souter. Sotomayor was confirmed by the United States Senate on August 6,...
- United States federal judgeUnited States federal judgeIn the United States, the title of federal judge usually means a judge appointed by the President of the United States and confirmed by the United States Senate in accordance with Article II of the United States Constitution....
- Federal judicial appointment historyFederal judicial appointment historyThe appointment of federal judges has become viewed as a political process in the last several decades. This is especially true of U.S. Supreme Court and court of appeals appointments...