Steven Aftergood
Secrecy News from FAS.org
President Obama began the fourth year of his presidency with more vacant circuit and district court judgeships than when he took office, a new report from the Congressional Research Service observed.
The growing number of vacancies in the federal judiciary and the factors that increasingly impede the successful nomination and confirmation of new judges were examined by CRS.
“District court vacancies have grown in number over the course of the Obama presidency, from 42 judgeships vacant when President Obama took office to 59 at present,” the CRS report said. During that period 150 district court judges were nominated but only 117 of them were confirmed.
Although I’ve not yet had time to read all of these, the last CRS report listed here at Secrecy News looks like something those of interested in truth, transparency and accountability may wish to read, considering demanding truth is now considered subversive (or worse) …
“During the Obama presidency thus far,… fewer Obama district court nominees have been confirmed by the Senate than were confirmed during the first terms of the four preceding Presidents,” CRS found.
A copy of the new CRS report was obtained by Secrecy News. See Nominations to U.S. Circuit and District Courts by President Obama During the 111th and 112th Congresses , June 1, 2012
Other new and updated CRS reports that have not been made readily available to the public include the following (all linked at the source):
What Is Systemic Risk? Does It Apply to Recent JP Morgan Losses?, May 24, 2012
SEC Climate Change Disclosure Guidance: An Overview and Congressional Concerns, May 24, 2012
Cybercrime: Conceptual Issues for Congress and U.S. Law Enforcement, May 23, 2012
Mexico’s 2012 Elections, May 23, 2012
Pakistan-U.S. Relations, May 24, 2012
Pakistan: U.S. Foreign Aid Conditions, Restrictions, and Reporting Requirements, June 1, 2012
U.S.-China Diplomacy Over Chinese Legal Advocate Chen Guangcheng, May 29, 2012
Countering Violent Extremism in the United States, May 31, 2012
