View Senator Rosen’s Full Remarks Here.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) delivered remarks on the Senate floor in opposition to the nomination of Lawrence VanDyke to a Nevada seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. The Senator discussed her concerns about VanDyke’s lack of ties to Nevada, his record of ideological legal work, and his rating of “Not Qualified” by the American Bar Association.
“It’s unfortunate to see this chamber disregard Nevada’s voice and move forward with Mr. VanDyke’s nomination,” said Senator Rosen. “The state of Nevada has numerous qualified lawyers and judges who have done good work, have good reputations in our communities, and are non-partisan. Any of these candidates would make excellent additions to the Ninth Circuit. No matter who is President or who controls the Senate, you would want qualified judges with connections to the state, who will be fair to your constituents, and not use cases to advance their personal ideological agenda. Mr. VanDyke fails this basic standard, and as such I oppose his nomination to a Nevada Seat of the Ninth Circuit.”
BACKGROUND: Senator Rosen announced her opposition to Mr. VanDyke’s nomination after reviewing his record, meeting with him privately, reviewing his testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee on October 30, 2019, and considering a letter from the American Bar Association rating Mr. VanDyke “Not Qualified” for a federal judicial seat. Throughout the White House’s selection process, Senators Cortez Masto and Rosen repeatedly voiced concerns about Mr. VanDyke’s lack of ties to Nevada. The two Senators wrote to the Judiciary Committee in advance of his confirmation hearing: “Selecting an outside political operative with limited ties to the state, whose colleagues challenged his work ethic and temperament, is a disservice to our constituents, and sets a dangerous precedent going forward.”
In October, Senator Rosen, along with Senator Cortez Masto (D-NV), announced the launch of their bipartisan Northern Nevada and Southern Nevada Judicial Commissions. The Senators created two five-member commissions, one in southern Nevada and one in northern Nevada.
Also in October, Rosen took to the Senate floor, voicing opposition to VanDyke. In her remarks, Rosen highlighted the many areas of deep concern regarding Mr. VanDyke’s nomination to this lifetime appointment.
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