Senate To Vote On Appeals Court Nominee Martin

Main Category: Women's Health / Gynecology
Also Included In: Litigation / Medical Malpractice
Article Date: 20 Jan 2010 - 5:00 PDT

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The Senate on Wednesday is expected to confirm Beverly Baldwin Martin, President Obama's nominee to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, CQ Today reports. Martin would be the fourth Obama appeals court nominee to receive a vote. The Senate Judiciary Committee approved Martin's nomination by a voice vote in September 2009. She has the backing of the two Republican senators from her home state of Georgia: Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson.

Judicial nominations are taking on a newfound urgency for Democrats as they grapple with the possibility of losing their 60-vote majority in the Senate if Republican Scott Brown defeats Democrat Martha Coakley in Tuesday's special election. Obama has named judges at a relatively slow pace, and Senate Democrats have not opted to devote the floor time needed to overcome Republican hurdles to advance nominees. Through December 2009, Obama had named 12 appeals court nominees and 21 district court nominees. During the same period in his presidency, George W. Bush made 29 appeals court nominations and 36 district court nominations. Democrats say GOP obstruction is to blame for the delays. "We have witnessed unprecedented delays in the consideration of qualified and noncontroversial nominations," Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) said. According to CQ Today, there are 21 vacancies on federal appeals courts and 81 vacancies on district courts.

Two nominees for district court judgeships -- Edward Milton Chen and Louis B. Butler -- were returned to Obama at the end of 2009 and are expected to be re-nominated shortly (Perine, CQ Today, 1/18).

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