Pro Justice Believing that good is good and evil is evil, and believing that God established government for the praise of good and the punishment of evil, AdvanceUSA is committed to supporting a justice system that is fair and equitable. We support the selection of judges who seek the original intent of the framers rather than reinterpreting the Constitution for political purposes. We support the punishment of the criminal and the protection of the victim. We support peacemaking efforts realizing that in some instances peace cannot be made without the judicious use of force. Pro Justice News Remember Peter Keisler President Bush Pleased by Senate Judicial Confirmations: Calls for More Action GOP Senators Call for Hearing for NC Judge McConnell Halts Senate Over Judges Judges Battle: Now, November and in ‘09 Harry Reid: Promise Breaker 4-to-3 Decision in Calif. a Vote for Nationwide Legal Chaos McConnell: Democrats Will Not Be Allowed to Shirk Their Commitments on Judicial Nominations McConnell: Democrats Fail Fairness Standard on Judicial Nominees Steven Agee Appointed to Fourth Circuit archive...

President Bush and Senators Demand Action on Judges
UPDATE: Keep up with the latest developments on judicial nominations at AdvanceUSA Blog.

UPDATE (4/15): Catharina Haynes was confirmed by the Senate on April 10 to sit on the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. AdvanceUSA has adjusted its judges graphic accordingly, and urges the Senate to redouble its efforts to do justice for the president's judicial nominees.

UPDATE (4/3): Several high-profile Senators have called on the Senate to act on the President's important judicial nominations in recent months. There is talk that some Senators might "shut down" the Senate with procedural tactics if the Senate does not do its constitutional duty and move on judicial nominations. The importance of nominating well-qualified, originalists to the federal bench can hardly be exaggerated. That, and the necessity of filling dangerous appellate court vacancies merits the use of strong tactics to make progress on judges. AdvanceUSA applauds the leadership of Senators McConnell, Specter, and Hatch on this issue.

To see a visual representation of how badly the Senate has lagged in its responsibilities on judges click here.

On February 7, at the White House, President Bush "called out" the Senate for its lack of action on important judicial nominations. Appointing qualified, originalist judges to the federal bench is of the utmost importance, but over 180 nominees are currently in judicial limbo. Call Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid today (his DC number is 202-224-3542) and politely ask him to end the obstruction of the President's judicial nominees and grant them hearings and a fair up-or-down vote, as is the Senate s constitutional duty!

To read the President's speech or a helpful White House fact sheet on judges check whitehouse.gov. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) also spoke out on this crucial issue and his remarks can be read here.

Judicial Confirmations Slow to a Snail's Pace
While some may contend that the United States Senate is doing a respectable job in confirming judicial nominees, the stats don't lie.

The U.S. Senate needs to take its constitutional responsibility to provide "advice and consent" on President Bush's judicial nominations seriously, especially in light of glaring vacancies in the federal courts.

If one compared the number of circuit court judges confirmed in the last two years of an eight-year presidential term in which the President and Senate belong to opposing parties, Bill Clinton would be the "hare" while George W. Bush would not even merit "tortoise" status. AdvanceUSA has prepared this graph which compares the circuit court confirmation statistics of Bill Clinton and George W. Bush who find themselves in nearly identical political situations. Click here for a larger version of this graph.