The Supreme Court Of
The United States:
Nomination Of Samuel A. Alito, Jr. To Be
Associate Justice Of The United States Supreme Court
“Ours is a nation
based on the rule of law, and the test of a good judge is his or her
ability to fairly apply the law. As I evaluate candidates for
lifetime appointments to the federal bench that often will span not
merely years but decades and sometimes eras, I want to make sure
that every person who comes before the court will know and feel that
they will be treated fairly. That is the basic test that I
will apply again, as this confirmation proceeding goes forward.”
--Senator Patrick Leahy,
Ranking Democratic Member, Senate Judiciary Committee
On July 1, 2005, The Honorable Sandra Day O'Connor, Associate Justice of
the United States Supreme Court, submitted her resignation to President
George W. Bush. Nearly three weeks later, on July 19, President
Bush nominated Judge John G. Roberts, Jr. of the Court of Appeals for
the District of Columbia to fill the vacancy left by Justice O'Connor's
retirement.
Following the passing of Chief Justice William Rehnquist,
President Bush resubmitted Judge Roberts' nomination, this time for the
position of Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court.
On October 3, President Bush nominated White House Counsel Harriet Miers
to fill the vacated seat of Justice O'Connor. President Bush, at
the request of Ms. Miers, withdrew the nomination on October 27, 2005.
On October 31, President Bush then nominated Judge Samuel A. Alito, Jr.
to fill the vacancy created by Justice O'Connor's retirement.
Hearings on Judge Alito's nomination will begin January 9, 2006.
As a member of
the Judiciary Committee for over 25 years, and the Committee’s
current Ranking Democratic Member, I have participated in
confirmation hearings for all 9 of the current Supreme Court
Justices. The role of the Senate to advise and consent to
the nominations sent to the Senate by the President is a serious
and vital one. As the Committee prepares to consider the
nomination of Judge Alito to the Supreme Court, I look forward
to examining his experience and qualifications during his
confirmation hearings.
Recent Statements and Releases of Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.)
