Civil and Human Rights Coalition Applauds Committee Vote on Millett Nomination; Decries Republican Opposition
WASHINGTON — Nancy Zirkin, executive vice president of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement after today’s Senate Judiciary Committee vote (10-8) on the nomination of Patricia Millett to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit:
“Today, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved Patricia Millett’s nomination over the unfortunate opposition of every Republican on the committee. Ms. Millett is one of the nation’s leading appellate attorneys with a wealth of experience and fierce commitment to the rule of law. It is surprising and disappointing that she did not garner bipartisan support given her vast experience and unassailable qualifications.
It seems that the Judiciary Committee Republicans have accepted Sen. Grassley’s untenable claim that the D.C. Circuit has enough seats, which directly contradicts their position in 2005 when Senate Republicans voted favorably to confirm President Bush’s nominees Janice Rogers Brown and Thomas Griffith to the 10th and 11th seats on the court.
The fact is that the D.C. Circuit, with only eight active judges, has many more pending cases now than it did then. According to the Administrative Office of the United States Courts, the D.C. Circuit had 1,456 pending cases as of March 31, 2013, as opposed to only 1,313 pending cases in May of 2005 when Brown and Griffith were confirmed.
Ms. Millett is a thoughtful, experienced, and mainstream legal figure whose lengthy qualifications are beyond debate. The Senate should confirm her without delay, along with the other two nominees to the D.C. Circuit, Cornelia Pillard and Judge Robert Wilkins.”
Nancy Zirkin is executive vice president of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 200 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. The Leadership Conference works toward an America as good as its ideals. For more information on The Leadership Conference and its 200-plus member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org.