Administration expects Lott to keep promise on judicial nominees
By Terry Frieden/CNN
February 9, 2000
Web posted at: 9:47 a.m. EST (1447 GMT)
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Clinton administration officials pressing for Senate
confirmation of federal judge nominees say they expect Senate leader Trent
Lott, R-Miss., will keep a promise made last year to schedule votes on two
controversial judicial nominations by March 15.
"We expect it to happen. We haven't been told they won't do it," said
Assistant Attorney General Eldie Acheson.
Acheson, the Justice Department's "point person" on the selection of
federal judges, told reporters Tuesday the administration will continue to
highlight two long-standing battles to win confirmation of judges to the 9th
U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
U.S. District Judge Richard Paez of Los Angeles has been awaiting
confirmation for four years -- probably the longest time any judicial
nomination has been pending in the nation's history, say Justice Department
officials.
San Francisco attorney Marsha Berzon has been awaiting confirmation to a
seat on the 9th Circuit for two years.
Conservative critics of the two nominations claim Paez and Berzon
are liberal activists. Paez backing for affirmative action and Berzon's role in
the ACLU have been among reasons some Republicans have left the nominations in
political limbo.
Acheson says the Clinton administration has 44 nominations to the federal
judiciary pending, and says the fact that this is an election year and
President Clinton's final year should be viewed as unusual barriers to the
nominees gaining Senate confirmation.
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