Working families won an important victory today when the United States Senate prevented a forced vote on the nomination of Miguel Estrada to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, the second most influential court in our nation and a key court for workers’ rights.  Mr. Estrada is a virtual unknown to the public and he has refused requests for basic information that would shed light on what kind of a judge he would be.  The 44 senators who opposed the nomination were right to insist on a fair, impartial, and open process for judicial nominations. 

Lifetime appointments to the federal courts are an honor and a privilege, not a right.  Considering the virtually unparalleled importance of the Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, senators must carefully evaluate how suited nominees are for these esteemed positions.  Unfortunately, Mr. Estrada and the Bush administration are withholding basic and reasonable information senators have requested to decide on Mr. Estrada’s nomination. 

Workers depend upon the federal courts to remedy job discrimination, obtain wages and overtime pay they are due, uphold workplace safety rules, stop unfair labor practices by employers, and enforce hard-won rights in their union contracts.  The federal courts, and workers’ rights, are too important to allow judicial candidates who stonewall the Senate to occupy these prestigious lifetime posts.  Senators Tom Daschle, Harry Reid, Patrick Leahy, Charles Schumer and their colleagues on the Senate Judiciary Committee in particular deserve our thanks for providing such tremendous leadership in protecting and preserving the integrity of the Senate’s constitutional role of advise and consent, and in protecting the federal courts.

In the interests of our justice system, we call on the president to offer nominees who represent the values of America's working families.

Contact: Kathy Roeder (202) 637-5018