Small Business Lending Act of 2010

Floor Speech

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Mr. BENNET. Madam President, I also rise today in support of Bill Martinez's nomination to serve on the Federal district court in Colorado.

Before I talk about that, I wish to take a moment to address this small business bill that is before the Senate because people are watching this in my State, and they are saying to themselves: We have spent 18 months with credit frozen--longer than that for small businesses--and Washington cannot seem to do anything for us.

Today is the day Washington could do something for small businesses in my State and across the country. And it is not a case of Democrat against Republican; this feels to me like a case of Washington politics against the rest of the country. So I lend my voice to the Senator from Florida and say that I hope the leadership can get it together.

I wish to add my push today for the unanimous consent request of the senior Senator from Colorado to consider this nomination of Bill Martinez. We need him confirmed so he can begin serving our State.

Bill appeared before the Judiciary Committee in March, where I had the privilege of introducing him. His nomination passed the committee with votes to spare in April. The Martinez nomination, like so many others, has gotten stuck because of the obstructionist tactics of a few.

So this man with a breadth of public and private sector legal experience that makes him more than qualified to serve on the Federal bench is being held up month after month.

Like my senior Senator, I am frustrated with the secret delays in this body. The purposeless shelving of nominations such as this one and even of important legislation affects real lives and poisons the atmosphere in the Senate.

There are 99 vacancies in the Federal court right now. To date, the President has nominated 39 individuals to fill these vacancies. For the sake of judicial efficiency and ensuring fair access for all of our people to our courts, I think it is time to move ahead on outstanding nominees who have cleared the Judiciary Committee easily. For the nominees, careers and families are being put on hold. If a nominee is unqualified or unfit for office, then let's have those concerns registered for public consumption.

Like far too many Coloradans, I am so frustrated with our broken politics. Instead of making sure qualified candidates are confirmed to key government posts, the Senate has secret holds and stall tactics. It is painful to watch, and it is painful to the American people to live through.

Bill Martinez, for one, has earned better treatment through a lifetime of professional achievement. He has a stellar reputation and credentials in Denver and possesses rare intangibles too. His career spans the legal profession and represents a true immigrant success story on which this country is founded. Bill was the first in his family to attend college. His experience is an inspiration to all Coloradans.

Is there any reason this attorney with an expertise in employment law and civil rights, coupled with years of courtroom experience, should not receive an up-or-down vote? I, for one, would like to know, as would the people of Colorado. I ask my colleagues to end the delay of consideration of Bill Martinez. Let's have an up-or-down vote on Bill Martinez and then move forward and go through other remaining nominees being needlessly upheld.

HEALTHY, HUNGER-FREE KIDS ACT

With the indulgence of my colleague from Minnesota, I wanted to mention one last thing. While I am here, I would also like to call attention to another priority that languishes as the Senate wastes time wrangling over nominees and partisan politics: the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, a fully paid for, bipartisan bill that unanimously passed out of committee last March. This bill will make a tangible difference in the lives of millions of children.

It is high time the Senate begin doing the people's business again.

I yield the floor.

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