WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) releases a statement following President Obama’s nomination of Rebecca Ross Haywood for the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit:
“Rebecca Haywood is an excellent nominee for the Third Circuit Court of Appeals and I’m pleased that President Obama will submit her name to the Senate for consideration. Rebecca Haywood’s career has been rooted in public service. Since 2003 she’s worked in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of Pennsylvania and has established a reputation for integrity and legal excellence. During her time in the Appellate Division she’s dealt extensively with both criminal and civil matters. Since 2010, she’s served as Chief of the Appellate Division where she oversees all of the Western District’s appellate work and makes arguments on behalf of the government’s position in front of Circuit Courts. She’s fought to protect children. She’s a highly qualified candidate for a seat on the Circuit Court of Appeals and deserves to be given fair consideration.
Rebecca Haywood’s nomination will fill a vital vacancy on the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. Senate Republicans should commit to doing their job and giving the Haywood nomination a fair hearing and timely vote. The Senate Judiciary Committee’s historic tradition of independence is at stake. In January, Heritage Action and other extreme voices on the right called on Senate Republicans to halt progress on all judicial nominations until President Obama left office. Ever since then the Republican led Judiciary Committee has slow-walked judicial nominations, including threatening to refuse to give any Supreme Court nominee from President Obama a hearing. Rebecca Haywood has spent her career serving our nation and shouldn’t be rendered a pawn in the political games being played by Chairman Grassley and Senate Republicans on the Judiciary Committee. Senators are free to vote however they choose on a judicial nominee but these same Senators have an abiding obligation to fulfill their most basic duties of advice and consent. A substantial amount of cases are decided at the appellate level so it’s essential that our Circuit Courts be fully staffed. I’m hopeful that that Senate Republicans will give Rebecca Haywood the consideration that her record of service, legal excellence and integrity deserves.”
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