Wes Hickman or Kevin Bish

WASHINGTON- U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today made the following statement regarding President Bush’s decision to make a recess appointment of Alabama Attorney General Bill Pryor to the U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. “I applaud the President’s decision to appoint Bill Pryor to the federal bench. He has been an outstanding Attorney General in Alabama, and has demonstrated a willingness to take on politically unpopular causes because the law requires it. He will be a judge who follows the law, not a personal agenda.” “The attacks levied against him have been politically motivated and are demagoguery at its worst. Pryor’s “well-qualified” rating by the American Bar Association and strong support from people throughout the state of Alabama illustrate his true qualities as a person and his skills as an attorney.” “President Bush’s decision demonstrates that he will not allow his judicial nominees to be demagogued and destroyed.” Bush originally nominated Pryor in April 2003, but his confirmation has been held up by Senate Democrats with unprecedented judicial filibusters. In addition to Pryor, Democrats have blocked the confirmation of five other federal judicial nominees. “The partisan filibusters of judges driven by liberal special interest politics will put the Senate in a death spiral with regard to judicial nominations. If our Democratic colleagues do not cease in partisan filibusters of well-qualified nominees there will be a confrontation in the Senate of Constitutional dimensions that will take years to overcome.” The recess appointment will enable Pryor to serve through the end of the first session of the 109th Congress. ####