Obama
WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) - Twenty-nine organizations are urging the approval of 14 of President Barack Obama's judicial nominees.
The groups released a joint statement Monday that says the Obama administration is meeting with concerned citizens, legal experts and community leaders from 27 states about the situation. Senators agreed in April to work through the nominees by Monday.
Among those making the joint statement were the American Association for Justice (the lobbying group of plaintiffs' attorneys), The Justice at Stake Campaign and the American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations.
"It's troubling to realize that, more than four months into 2012, the Senate has voted only on nominees who were pending on the Senate floor last year and eligible for a confirmation vote in 2011," the statement says.
"Today, in fact, marks the first time this year that the Senate is scheduled to vote on nominees who were not pending in 2011."
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid filed cloture on 17 nominations on March 12, though ultimately only three were approved.
Last week, the Judicial Action Group argued that no judicial nominee should be approved within six months of this year's presidential election. The group said Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy argued that certain judicial nominees of President Bush should not be confirmed during the last six months of his presidency - the so-called "Thurmond Rule."
From Legal Newsline: Reach John O'Brien by e-mail at jobrienwv@gmail.com.