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Are Republicans deliberately blocking Judge Restrepo's confirmation?

“By skipping over Judge Restrepo, Senate Republicans threaten not to hold a confirmation vote by the end of the year, meaning that the reset button could be…

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“Inexcusable,” “a shame,” “blatant partisan obstruction” ...

Advocates and organizations are running out of adjectives to describe the inexplicable one year delay on Judge Felipe Restrepo’s confirmation, and now they have to wait longer. This week the Senate decided to skip his vote and with no confirmation date scheduled, the vote might have to wait until next year, TheLegalIntelligencer reported.

“By skipping over Judge Restrepo, Senate Republicans threaten not to hold a confirmation vote by the end of the year, meaning that the reset button could be hit on his confirmation,” stated Paul Gordon, senior legislative counsel for People for the American Way. “If they do that, he'd have to be re-nominated and re-processed by the Judiciary Committee, even though Republicans and Democrats alike have voiced only support for Judge Restrepo."

The Senate’s missed opportunity follows months of stalling on Sen. Pat Toomey’s side.

Although President Obama nominated federal district Judge L. Felipe Restrepo to be a judge on the important U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit on November of last year,  Sen. Pat Toomey, who has been accused by advocates and organizations of holding up the confirmation of the U.S. District Judge, waited until mid-May to submit his approval.

Toomey waited two weeks before the Senate recesses for the year to send a letter to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Dec. 7 urging Republican leaders to schedule a long overdue vote, Philly.com reported.

“What better example could we find of Republicans who are eager to get credit for supporting our community when the cameras are rolling, but who have done nothing to actually help Latinos when it comes to taking real action?” Dolores Huerta

And even as the vacancy Restrepo would be filling has been declared a judicial emergency, the Senate has confirmed other candidates for the bench who were nominated after him.

“Restrepo's confirmation would add an important, diverse perspective to the Third Circuit. Restrepo was born in Colombia and raised in Virginia, becoming an American citizen in 1993. If confirmed, he would be just the second Latino ever to serve on the Third Circuit, and the first from Pennsylvania” wrote Jake Faleschini on his blog "Senate Obstruction of Restrepo Nomination Is Simply Inexcusable" for The Huffington Post.

 

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