Senate Proceeding on May 2nd, 2011 :: 3:11:15 to 3:18:40
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3:11:12 to 3:11:33( Edit History Discussion )

Chuck Grassley: senator from iowa. mr. grassley: today, the senate will confirm two more of president obama's judicial nominees. i continue to work with the chairman of the committee to ensure nominees are afforded a fair but thorough process and in a timely manner. today's vote marks the 19th nominee to be confirmed in just

3:11:15 to 3:18:40( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Chuck Grassley

3:11:34 to 3:11:56( Edit History Discussion )

Chuck Grassley: 42 days that the senate has been in session this congress. the judiciary committee is holding nominations and their hearings on wednesday, and on thursday, we will report additional judicial and executive nominees to the floor. thus far, we have taken positive

3:11:57 to 3:12:18( Edit History Discussion )

Chuck Grassley: action on 43 of 63 nominees submitted this congress or 68% of all nominees. now, let me repeat that because i'm going to say something that makes it very disgusting to me, some things that are coming out of the white house. thus far, we have taken positive

3:12:19 to 3:12:39( Edit History Discussion )

Chuck Grassley: action on 43 of 63 nominees submitted to this congress or 68% of the nominees. with this progress, i was then surprised at the recent remarks of the white house counsel before the american bar association members.

3:12:40 to 3:13:02( Edit History Discussion )

Chuck Grassley: this past april 14. this council addressed the group and complained about the pace of judicial appointments. he encouraged the group to escalate the general sense of urgency regarding judicial appointments. press reports indicate that he asked them to play a larger role to -- quote -- "bring home the

3:13:03 to 3:13:23( Edit History Discussion )

Chuck Grassley: impact or the effect of gridlock." end of quote. so, mr. president, not only do i think that these remarks are unjustified, given the pace of confirmation this year -- and that's the 68% that i've referred to -- but they also fail on the part of the white house counsel to acknowledge the

3:13:24 to 3:13:47( Edit History Discussion )

Chuck Grassley: problem begins where? with the president of the united states and his staff at the white house, the counsel particularly. so this brings me to the point that if we're acting so slowly, why has the president failed to send to the senate a nomination

3:13:48 to 3:14:09( Edit History Discussion )

Chuck Grassley: for 55% of the current judicial vacancies? this statistic certainly does not indicate any sense of urgency on the part of the white house and then brings further attention to the intellectual dishonesty of the white house in his speech to the a.b.a. members that we are not acting fast

3:14:10 to 3:14:31( Edit History Discussion )

Chuck Grassley: enough up here on the hill. having said that, i want to say a few words about the two nominees that we're going to be voting on today. roy dalton jr. is nominated to be u.s. district court judge, middle district, florida. mr. dalton received his b.a. with high honors and his j.d.

3:14:32 to 3:14:52( Edit History Discussion )

Chuck Grassley: from the university of florida. following law school, he joined the firm of dean, ringers, morton and lawton as an associate where he later became a principal of that firm. in 1982, the nominee founded his first law firm, roy b. dalton

3:14:53 to 3:15:16( Edit History Discussion )

Chuck Grassley: jr. b.a. he would later form other practices where he could serve as a principal. in 1999, he began working of counsel for the firm of gray, harris and robinson where his practice grew to an area of civil litigation, government relations, appellate practice and business practice for

3:15:17 to 3:15:37( Edit History Discussion )

Chuck Grassley: individuals. as a former senate staffer, mr. dalton spent most of 2005 serving as counsel to his former legal partner and united states senator, mel martinez. mr. dalton has also practiced in appellate matters of counsel for the carlyle appellate law firm, a post that he has held since

3:15:38 to 3:15:59( Edit History Discussion )

Chuck Grassley: 2004. the american bar association standing committee on the federal judiciary gave mr. dalton the rating of substantial majority, well-qualified, minority, qualified. i'm pleased to support the nomination of mr. dalton. i also rise in support of kevin

3:16:00 to 3:16:20( Edit History Discussion )

Chuck Grassley: sharp for u.s. district court judge, middle district tennessee. mr. sharpen listed in the united states -- mr. sharp enlisted in the united states senate following high school and received honorable discharge 1964. 19644 -- 1986. he received his b.s. from

3:16:21 to 3:16:41( Edit History Discussion )

Chuck Grassley: christian brother college and j.d. from vanderbilt university school of law. he began his legal career as an associate with the firm of stokes and barthelmew. and mr. sharp returned to

3:16:42 to 3:17:03( Edit History Discussion )

Chuck Grassley: stokes, barthelmew and petry eventually making partner. since 2003, has been a shareholder and partner at drex drexler and sharp, where he has focused on disability law. the american bar association on the federal judiciary committee has rated him qualified and i urge my colleagues to support the nominee.

3:17:04 to 3:17:24( Edit History Discussion )

Chuck Grassley: i would note that the vacancy of mr. sharp that he will fill was created by the retirement of judge eackels march 2007. a few months later, on june the 13th, 2007, president bush nominated gus preier to fill the vacancy.

3:17:25 to 3:17:47( Edit History Discussion )

Chuck Grassley: mr. prier waited eight months before he had a hearing. that was the last action the committee took o nomination. his nomination languished in committee for another ten months before being returned to the president january 2009 at the end of president bush's second term. it is both unfortunate and unnecessary that this seat has

3:17:48 to 3:18:08( Edit History Discussion )

Chuck Grassley: remained vacant for this long. i congratulate each of these members for their achievements and commend them for the public service that they have given and that they will provide to the people of this country and particularly to their respective states in the future. thank you, mr. president. and i yield the floor.

3:18:09 to 3:18:18( Edit History Discussion )

Chuck Grassley: and i don't see anybody here, so quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll.