Judge Southwick Clears Judiciary Committee

While in Washington this week, I met with ranking Senate Judiciary Committee member Arlen Specter.  We discussed at length the nomination of Judge Leslie Southwick to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.  For months, Judge Southwicks nomination has stalled before the United States Senate.  We have been pressing very aggressively for the last several weeks to ensure a fair up or down vote of Judge Southwicks nomination.  I am happy to report that the very next day after my meeting with Senator Specter, a bipartisan majority of the Judiciary Committee voted to allow and up or down vote of Judge Southwick on the floor of the United States Senate. 

As I mentioned in a previous post, Judge Southwick served honorably on the Mississippi Court of Appeals and has been given a well-qualified rating by the American Bar Association.  This ranking is deemed by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy to be the gold standard.  Judge Southwicks record of service to the country is also exemplary.  He served as a lieutenant colonel in the Mississippi National Guard, and he sought and obtained an age waiver so that he could serve in Iraq.  Judge Southwick served on frontline duty in Iraq from August 2004 to January 2006. 

Senator Dianne Feinstein from California crossed party lines to allow the nomination to go to the floor of the Senate.  Senator Feinstein decided to support the nominee after meeting with him and assessing his character.  Judge Southwick is exactly the kind of judge we need on the Courts of Appeals.  As you can imagine, Ralph Neas of People for the American Way, was very deeply disappointed that the Republicans on the Judiciary Committee and that Senate Democrat Feinstein had advanced Leslie Southwicks nomination. 

Our Office of Government Affairs is working with Senate Judiciary Committee staff on the floor vote that will probably take place in early September.  Having Judge Southwicks nomination clear the Senate Judiciary Committee is a major victory.  These Courts of Appeals positions are very significant in so many of the critical cases in which we are involved.  I will be heading back up to Washington on Tuesday for further meetings on judicial nominations and will keep everyone posted.