November 15, 2010

Warning to Reid on Lame Duck Confirmations

Conservative leaders, including CFJ Executive Director Curt Levey, delivered a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid today, urging him “in the strongest possible terms not to use the ‘lame duck’ session to force votes on the confirmation of any nominees for federal office.”

The letter emphasizes that many of the nominees that might be confirmed during the lame duck session “are still before the Senate precisely because of concerns about their radical and controversial views.” A Senate that “has already been replaced by the American people has no business confirming such controversial nominees to federal office,” the letter adds.

Commenting on the letter, Mr. Levey noted that “On November 2, the American people rejected the liberal agenda that has been pushed by the Obama Administration and its most controversial pending nominees. If Senate Democrats try to confirm these controversial nominees during the lame duck session, they will be showing contempt for American voters.”

In the letter, Levey and the other conservative leaders call attention to the 16 “most egregious” pending judicial and executive branch nominees. The list includes two appeals court nominees (Goodwin Liu and Robert Chatigny), three district court nominees (John McConnell, Edward Chen and Louis Butler), as well as nominees to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (Chai Feldlbum and Jacqueline Berrien) and the National Labor Relations Board (Craig Becker). Also on the list are John Podesta, nominated to the Corporation for National & Community Service; James Cole, the Deputy Attorney General nominee; and Donald Berwick, who was recess appointed to head the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

The full text of the letter is below, including the list of signers and the list of the 16 most controversial nominees.

-----------------------------
November 15, 2010

The Honorable Harry Reid
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510

RE: No Lame Duck Confirmations

Dear Majority Leader Reid:

Now that we are past the Congressional elections, we urge you in the strongest possible terms not to use the “lame duck” session to force votes on the confirmation of any nominees for federal office.

Any “lame-duck” confirmations would be a gross abuse of Congressional authority in a last gasp attempt to perpetuate an agenda that the American people have already rejected. This would further undermine the American people’s confidence in Congress and the democratic nature of our government.

In addition, many of the nominees that could feasibly be confirmed in this way are still before the Senate precisely because of concerns about their radical and controversial views. The Senate has already had months to question and confirm these nominees. A Senate that has not been able to decide about these nominees, and has already been replaced by the American people, has no business confirming such controversial nominees to federal office. A list of the most egregious pending nominees is attached.

Sincerely,

William Wilson
President
Americans for Limited Government

Tom McClusky
Sr. Vice President
Family Research Council Action

Curt Levey
Executive Director
The Committee for Justice

David A. Keene
Chairman
American Conservative Union

Penny Nance
CEO
Concerned Women for America

Phyllis Schlafly
President
Eagle Forum

Andrea Lafferty
Executive Director
Traditional Values Coalition

Kay R. Daly
President
Coalition for a Fair Judiciary

CC: The Honorable Mitch McConnell


Most egregious nominees:

Maria del Carmen Aponte, Ambassador to the Republic of El Salvador

Craig Becker, Board Member, National Labor Relations Board

Jacqueline Berrien, Chair, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

Donald Berwick, Administrator, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Department of Health and Human Services

Louis B. Butler, Jr., U.S. District Judge for the District of Wisconsin

Robert N. Chatigny, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit

Edward Milton Chen, U.S. District Court Judge for the Northern District of California

James Michael Cole, Deputy Attorney General, Department of Justice

Chai Feldlbum, Commissioner, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

Goodwin Liu, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

John J. McConnell, Jr., U.S. District Court Judge for the District of Rhode Island

Thomas R. Nides, Deputy Secretary for Management and Resources, Department of State

John D. Podesta, Board of Directors, Corporation for National and Community Service

Jo Ann Rooney, Principal Deputy Undersecretary for Personnel and Readiness, Department of Defense

Paul Tiao, Inspector General, Department of Labor

Solomon B. Watson IV, General Counsel of the Army, Department of Defense

Labels: