Tribute to the Honorable Soloman Blatt, Jr.

TRIBUTE TO THE HONORABLE SOLOMAN BLATT, JR.

Mr. HOLLINGS. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize and salute a dear friend of mine and tireless servant of the American people for his long and distinguished service on the Budget Committee of the Judicial Conference of the United States. After 25 years of service, the Honorable Soloman Blatt, Jr., Senior Judge for the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina, will step down as a member of the Budget Committee of the Judicial Conference.

Effective January 20, 2003, the longest tenure of any current member of any Judicial Conference Committee, as well as one of the longest tenures during any era, will come to an end and both the judiciary and the Congress will have lost a tremendous resource.

Ever mindful of the fiscal realities facing Congress and the Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice and State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies, Judge Blatt has always demonstrated the unique ability to strike a balance, articulating well the most critical needs of the judiciary while recognizing and appreciating the competing demands the subcommittee faces within its vast jurisdiction. During Judge Blatt's more than 25 years of service on the Budget Committee, the judiciary's budget grew from $438.5 million in fiscal year 1978, to a request of approximately $5 billion for fiscal year 2003. But perhaps on of his greatest achievements during his tenure on the Budget Committee was revising the role of the committee from that of simply assembling or adding up the resource requirements coming from the substantive committees of the Judicial Conference, to that of formulating a budget request that was fiscally responsible and politically acceptable outside the judiciary, while also addressing the immediate needs of the judiciary's burgeoning workload.

Judge Blatt is an honest broker. Appropriations Subcommittee allocations get tighter and tighter each year, pitting the needs of executive branch agencies against the needs of the judiciary. But I always knew when Judge Blatt came to me concerned about a particular aspect of the Federal courts, it was real, and I would do my best to accommodate his request.

Mr. President, the judiciary, and indeed the Congress, will always be indebted to Judge Blatt for his years of service on behalf of the Federal court system. I know that I will miss his input and candor during our deliberations on funding for the Federal judiciary within the annual Commerce, Justice and State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies Appropriations bills.·