FACTS and MYTHS on the nomination of Federal Judges.

http://mediamatters.org/research/2016/03/16/myths-and-facts-on-the-nomination-of-judge-merr/209286#myth7


We pay a big price by not allowing judges to be confirmed.

MYTH: Republicans' Unprecedented Obstructionism Does Not Have Negative Consequences

Conservative Media Argued That There Was No Urgency To Fill Critical Vacancies On The D.C. Circuit Court. During ongoing Republican obstructionism against three qualified, noncontroversial Obama nominees, conservative media figures misled about the nature of the D.C. Circuit Court's caseload to argue that there was no pressing need to fill the vacancies. [Media Matters, 10/30/13; Media Matters, 9/6/13]

FACT: Vacancies Created By Republicans' Judicial Nominee Obstructionism Make Federal Court System Less Efficient And Less Capable Of Addressing Americans' Concerns

Center For American Progress: "Millions Of Americans Are Being Denied Access To Justice." The Center for American Progress explained that "the number of judicial emergencies ... nearly tripled" in 2015 following "the worst obstruction of judicial nominations in more than half a century":

In 2015, the U.S. Senate has confirmed just 11 federal judges to the bench, and the number of judicial emergencies has nearly tripled. As the graphic below shows, this is the worst obstruction of judicial nominations in more than half a century. As a result, millions of Americans are being denied access to justice.

[Center for American Progress, 2/23/16]

The U.S. Judicial Conference Has Declared 31 Current "Judicial Emergencies." "Judicial emergencies" are declared on the basis of federal courts' respective caseloads and how long vacant positions have remained unfilled. [United States Courts, accessed 2/29/16; United States Courts, accessed 2/29/16]

People For The American Way: Federal Court Vacancies Create Delays For Civil Cases That Hurt "Real People." A 2012 report from the People for the American Way (PFAW) noted that "court delays damage small businesses, whether they are seeking to vindicate their rights as plaintiffs or to put a lawsuit behind them," and cause "long delays for Americans seeking justice in cases involving discrimination, civil rights, predatory lending practices, consumer fraud, immigrant rights" and other areas. [People For the American Way, 2012]