Republicans Obstructed Clinton’s Nominees

In a Nov. 13 letter, Peter Rich stated, “The Democrats have already been far more obstructionist with the Bush administration’s judicial nominees than Republicans were with President Clinton’s.” President Bush’s nominees have been confirmed by the Democrats at a significantly faster rate than were Clinton’s by the Republicans. In all of 1996, the Republican-controlled Senate confirmed only 17 of Clinton’s judicial nominees, reportedly a 40-year low. Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Orrin Hatch prevented a vote on the appointment of Judge Richard Paez to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals for more than four years, despite the highest possible rating from the American Bar Assn. for Paez. In 1997, federal court vacancies reached 100 due to Hatch’s refusal to allow the nominations to come up for a vote.

Republicans like to argue that the number of Clinton judicial appointments confirmed were similar to the numbers achieved by President Reagan -- 377 in eight years. What they don’t say is that the number reflects primarily the success during the years that Clinton enjoyed a Democratically controlled Senate. The success rate changed significantly under Republican Senate control.

David Holland

Northridge