Why Courts Matter (Blog)

Today, almost 65 percent of the U.S. population lives in communities with a courtroom vacancy. More than 100 million live in districts with nominees awaiting a Senate confirmation vote. Yet Iowa's very own Senator Chuck Grassley accuses the Obama administration of shedding “crocodile tears,” claiming that the Senate has confirmed a “near record” number of judicial nominees since President Obama took office.

As of May 24, 2013, there are 79 vacancies on the federal bench. Twenty additional vacancies will occur this year for a total of 99. Of these vacancies, 32 are deemed judicial emergencies. There are 26 pending nominees with seven pending on the Senate floor awaiting a simple up-or-down vote. Of those, six were approved out of the Judiciary Committee unanimously. All of these nominations have been pending more than 100 days, and with one nominee waiting more than 250 days.

The courts matter because they make decisions that have a direct impact on our lives. If you care for the environment, reproductive rights, religious freedom, comprehensive immigration reform, accessible and affordable healthcare, equality for LGBT persons, civil rights or quality education, then you should care about the courts. It is important that we educate ourselves about the importance of our courts and how we, as Iowans, can get involved. We have a right to demand that our judges and our courts exhibit integrity and impartiality and we have a right to insist on a process that prohibits partisanship and political influence in the nominations and confirmations process. It is in our best interest that qualified, competent and diverse judges are named to the bench.

Senator Grassley is the senior ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. He has considerable influence over judicial nominations and confirmations. Let’s speak with our senior Senator and express our concerns. Let’s ask the Senate to get to the business of putting forward appropriate candidates to fill vacancies in their states and insist that the Senate stop impeding the process and get to the business of voting. We must insist on a swift confirmation of those nominations. We will hold our elected officials in Iowa and in Washington, DC, accountable for any delays.

We deserve a judiciary that will defend justice and will not be bought or sold by politicians. We should advocate for a robust and healthy judiciary that values civil liberties, equality under the law, and above all justice.

Find out more information about Why Courts Matter and the Iowa Fair Courts Coalition by clicking here.