Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) conducts a news conference to discuss the Senate’s role during the 110th Congress in confirming U.S. federal court judicial nominees.

Discussion Questions

1. What is the role of a federal judge? Who nominates federal judges? How does a nominee become a federal judge?
2. When did the 110th Congress begin? According to Sen. McConnell, in the beginning of the 110th Congress, how many circuit court judicial nominees did he and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) agree to confirm during the last two years of President George Bush’s term? How did they analyze the past three presidential administrations to arrive at this number?
3. According to Sen. McConnell, how many circuit court nominees have been confirmed since the beginning of the 110th Congress? Why does Sen. McConnell think the pace of confirmation has been “incredibly slow”?
4. Sen. McConnell states, “In the Senate, the minority has rights. We are not the House of Representatives.” What does he mean by this statement?
5. Explain why the process of confirming a judicial nominee might take some time to occur.