Pat Toomey needs to explain himself
It’s not uncommon for a member of the U.S. Senate to put a temporary block on a judicial nominee over philosophical or political differences.
Pennsylvania Republican Sen. Pat Toomey is doing that right now with President Obama’s nomination of Luis Felipe Restrepo to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit. And on whose recommendation did the president make this nomination? Why, it was none other than Sen. Pat Toomey.
We kid you not. Toomey is throwing a roadblock in front of his own judicial choice.
According to a piece on the Huffington Post website, two years ago, when Restrepo was first selected for a spot on the district court, Toomey was a staunch supporter, and when the president chose Restrepo last year to fill the 3rd Circuit vacancy, Toomey called him a “superb” selection.
So why, now, is Toomey refusing to submit his so-called “blue slip,” which gives the chairman of the Judiciary Committee the go-ahead to move on the nomination? Well, Toomey won’t say.
A Huffington Post writer asked him if he’s deliberately blocking Restrepo.
“No, I’m not. Let me explain how that works to you. But I’ve got to run for this lunch. But I support his nomination,” said Toomey before walking off in a rush and ducking into an elevator. The senator did divulge that he had no fresh concerns about the judge and would, “at the appropriate time,” submit his blue slip.
An aide to the senator said Toomey “hopes it gets done this year.”
This year? It’s only May. One would hope that Restrepo’s nomination advances well before the end of 2015, considering that he already has been cooling his heels since last November.
And it’s not as if this is just a stray vacancy on the 3rd Circuit bench.
Said the Huffington Post, “There’s a particular urgency to Restrepo’s confirmation. In the nearly six months that he’s been waiting for a hearing, the vacancy he would fill has become a ‘judicial emergency.’ That means the number of cases per panel of judges on that court exceeds 700, or is between 500 and 700 for more than 18 months. The more overloaded those judges get, the more delays there are in justice being carried out.”
If Toomey has a legitimate reason for blocking Restrepo’s confirmation, he owes it to the people he represents to make it known. If he’s just engaging in some sort of political game, as seems likely, then he needs to get out of the way and let the confirmation process go forward.