Cloture Filed On Vermont U.S. Court Nominee, Setting Up Likely Senate Confirmation Vote Next Week

Press Release

Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) Thursday night filed a cloture petition on a judicial nomination to fill a vacancy on the U.S. District Court in Vermont, setting up a likely confirmation vote next week.

President Obama on May 20 nominated Vermont Supreme Court Justice Geoffrey Crawford to the U.S. District Court in Vermont, to fill the vacancy created when Judge William Sessions took senior status on the court last weekend. Leahy, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, had recommended Crawford to the President at the end of a review process handled by the nine-member nonpartisan Vermont Judicial Nominating Commission, whose members were appointed by Leahy, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and the Vermont Bar Association. Leahy chaired Justice Crawford's confirmation hearing in the Judiciary Committee on June 4, and then he brought the nomination to a successful vote in the committee on Thursday, June 19.

Leahy said, "As chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee I have pushed for immediate consideration of Justice Crawford's nomination so that Vermonters will not face the judicial vacancy crisis that other states have faced. I expect that Justice Crawford's confirmation vote will be early next week. This will greatly smooth the transition process in Vermont's federal district court. I'm gratified by the bipartisan cooperation I have sought and received to keep this Vermont nominee moving forward through each step of the process."

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