October 5, 1999
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE
S11915
of t h e u n a n im ou s con sen t r equ est , a n oppor t u n it y t o spea k ? Mr . HAR KIN. If I ca n follow t h e S en - a t or fr om Ut a h for 10 m in u t es, y es, I r equ est t o spea k . T h e P R E S IDING OF F ICE R . Wit h ou t object ion , it is so or der ed. Mr . HAT CH. Mr . P r esiden t , I t h a n k m y collea gu e, a n d I a pologize. I did n ot r ea lize h e h a d been st a n din g h er e a ll t h is t im e.
- T h is is n ot
- a
- t im e for pa r t isa n dec- object ivit y , cou r t esy , a n d pa t ien ce
la r a t ion s of vict or y , bu t I a m plea sed [a r e] wit h ou t blem ish .’’ t h a t m y collea gu es r evisit ed t h eir decision t o h old u p t h e n om in a t ion . We a r e
Ut a h S t a t e S en a t or , Mik e Dm it r ich , on e of m a n y Dem ocr a t s su ppor t in g t h is n om in a t ion , wr ot e, ‘‘[Mr . S t ewa r t ] h a s a lwa y s been fa ir a n d deliber a t e a n d sh own t h e m oder a t ion a n d t h ou gh t fu ln ess t h a t t h e ju dicia r y r equ ir es.’’
- pr oceedin g wit h
- a
- vot e on t h e m er it s
on T ed S t ewa r t ’s n om in a t ion , a n d we will t h en pr oceed u pon a n a r r a n ged sch edu le t o vot e on ot h er n om in ees in pr ecisely t h e wa y t h a t wa s pr oposed pr ior t o t h e filibu st er vot e. Ult im a t ely , it is m y h ope for u s, a s a n in st it u t ion , t h a t in st ea d of sign a lin g a t r en d, t h e la st 2 week s will in - st ea d look m or e lik e a n a ber r a t ion t h a t wa s qu ick ly cor r ect ed. I look for - wa r d t o m ovin g a h ea d t o per for m ou r con st it u t ion a l obliga t ion of pr ovidin g a dvice a n d con sen t t o t h e P r esiden t ’s ju dicia l n om in ees. An d n ow, I wou ld lik e t o t u r n ou r a t - t en t ion t o t h e m er it s of T ed S t ewa r t ’s n om in a t ion . I h a ve k n own T ed S t ewa r t for m a n y y ea r s. I h a ve lon g r espect ed h is in t egr it y , h is com m it m en t t o pu blic ser vice, a n d h is ju dgm en t . An d I a m plea sed t h a t P r esiden t Clin t on sa w fit t o n om in a t e t h is fin e m a n for a sea t on t h e Un it ed S t a t es Dist r ict Cou r t for t h e Dist r ict of Ut a h . Mr . S t ewa r t r eceived h is la w degr ee fr om t h e Un iver sit y of Ut a h S ch ool of L a w a n d h is u n der gr a du a t e degr ee fr om Ut a h S t a t e Un iver sit y . He wor k ed a s a pr a ct icin g la wy er in S a lt L a k e Cit y for 6 y ea r s. An d h e ser ved a s t r ia l cou n sel wit h t h e J u dge Advoca t e Gen er a l in t h e Ut a h Na t ion a l Gu a r d. In 1981, Mr . S t ewa r t ca m e t o Wa sh - in gt on t o wor k wit h Con gr essm a n J IM HANS E N. His pr a ct ica l lega l exper ien ce ser ved h im well on Ca pit ol Hill, wh er e h e wa s in t im a t ely in volved in t h e dr a ft in g of legisla t ion . Mr . S t ewa r t ’s ou t st a n din g r ecor d in pr iva t e pr a ct ice a n d in t h e L egisla t ive Br a n ch ea r n ed h im a n a ppoin t m en t t o t h e Ut a h P u blic S er vice Com m ission in 1985. F or 7 y ea r s, h e ser ved in a qu a siju dicia l ca pa cit y on t h e Com m ission , con du ct in g h ea r in gs, r eceivin g evi-
I u n der st a n d t h a t t h e Am er ica n Ba r Associa t ion h a s con clu ded t h a t T ed S t ewa r t m eet s t h e qu a lifica t ion s for a ppoin t m en t t o t h e feder a l dist r ict cou r t . T h is sen t im en t is st r on gly sh a r ed by m a n y in Ut a h , in clu din g t h e r ecen t pr esiden t of t h e Ut a h S t a t e Ba r . F or t h ese r ea son s, Mr . S t ewa r t wa s a ppr oved for con fir m a t ion t o t h e ben ch by a n over wh elm in g m a jor it y vot e of t h e J u dicia r y Com m it t ee. T o t h ose wh o con t en d Mr . S t ewa r t h a s t a k en so-ca lled a n t i-en vir on m en t a l posit ion s, I sa y : look m or e ca r efu lly a t h is r ecor d. Mr . S t ewa r t wa s t h e dir ect or of Ut a h ’s Depa r t m en t of Na t u r a l R esou r ces for 5 y ea r s, a n d t h e fa ct is t h a t h is wh ole r ecor d h a s ea r n ed t h e r espect a n d su ppor t of m a n y loca l en vir on m en t a l gr ou ps. In deed, for h is a ct ion s in pr ot ect in g r eser ve wa t er r igh t s in Zion Na t ion a l P a r k , Mr . S t ewa r t wa s en t h u sia st ica lly pr a ised by t h is a dm in ist r a t ion ’s S ecr et a r y of t h e In t er ior . Con sider t h e en com iu m s fr om t h e followin g per son s h a ilin g fr om Ut a h ’s en vir on m en t a l com m u n it y : R .G. Va len t in e, of t h e Ut a h Wet la n ds F ou n da t ion , wr ot e, ‘‘Mr . S t ewa r t ’s ju dgm en t a n d ju dicia l eva lu a t ion of a n y pr oject or issu e h a s been on e of u n - bia sed a n d ba la n ced r esu lt s.’’ Don P ea y , of t h e con ser va t ion gr ou p spor t sm en for F ish a n d Wildlife, wr ot e, ‘‘I h a ve n ot h in g bu t r espect for a m a n wh o is h on est , fa ir , con sider a t e, a n d ext r em ely ca pa ble.’’
NOMINAT ION OF T E D S T E WAR T T O BE DIS T R ICT J UDGE F OR T HE DIS T R ICT OF UT AH Mr . HAT CH. Mr . P r esiden t , it is gr ea t plea su r e for m e t o su ppor t t h e con fir m a t ion of ju dicia l ca n dida t e aawh o is t h e epit om e of good ch a r a ct er , br oa d exper ien ce, a n d a ju diciou s t em - per a m en t . F ir st , h owever , I t h in k it a ppr opr ia t e t h a t I spen d a m om en t t o a ck n owledge
- t h e m in or it y for r elen t in g in wh a t
- I
con sider t o h a ve been a n ill-con ceived ga m bit t o polit icize t h e ju dicia l con - fir m a t ion s pr ocess. My collea gu es a ppea r t o h a ve m a de h ist or y on S ept em ber 21 by pr even t in g t h e in voca t ion of clot u r e for t h e fir st t im e ever on a dist r ict ju dge’s n om in a t ion . T h is wa s—a n d st ill is—gr a vely disa ppoin t in g t o m e. In a body wh ose best m om en t s h a ve been t h ose in wh ich st a t esm a n sh ip t r iu m ph s over pa r t isa n - sh ip, t h is u n for t u n a t e st a t ist ic does n ot m a k e for a pr ou d lega cy . My collea gu es, wh o wer e m ot iva t ed by t h e legit im a t e goa l of ga in in g vot es on t wo pa r t icu la r n om in ees, pu r su ed a sh or t -t er m offen sive wh ich fa iled t o a ccom plish t h eir object ive a n d r isk ed lon g-t er m per il for t h e n a t ion ’s ju dicia r y . T h er e n ow exist s on t h e book s a fr esh pr eceden t t o filibu st er ju dicia l n om in ees wit h wh ich eit h er polit ica l pa r t y disa gr ees.
In deed, fa r fr om cr it icism , Mr . S t ewa r t deser ves pr a ise for h is m a jor a ccom plish m en t s in pr ot ect in g t h e en vir on m en t . Ult im a t ely , t h e legion of let t er s a n d t est a m en t s in su ppor t of Mr . S t ewa r t ’s n om in a t ion r eflect s t h e ba la n ced a n d fa ir ju dgm en t t h a t h e h a s exh ibit ed over h is lon g a n d dist in gu ish ed ca r eer . T h ose wh o k n ow T ed S t ewa r t k n ow h e will con t in u e t o ser ve t h e pu blic well. On a fin a l n ot e, T ed S t ewa r t is n eeded in Ut a h . T h e sea t h e will be t a k in g
- I
- h a ve a lwa y s, a n d con sist en t ly ,
t a k en t h e posit ion t h a t t h e S en a t e m u st a ddr ess t h e qu a lifica t ion s of a ju - dicia l n om in ee by a m a jor it y vot e, a n d den ce, a n d r en der in g decision s wit h t h a t t h e 41 vot es n ecessa r y t o defea t fin din gs of fa ct a n d con clu sion s of la w. clot u r e a r e n o su bst it u t e for t h e dem ocr a t ic a n d con st it u t ion a l pr in ciples t h a t u n der lie t h is body ’s m a jor it a r ia n pr em ise for con fir m a t ion t o ou r F eder a l ju dicia r y .
Mr . S t ewa r t t h en br ou gh t h is exper ien ce a s a pr a ct icin g la wy er , a s a legisla t ive a ide, a n d a s a qu a si-ju dicia l officer , t o t h e execu t ive br a n ch in S t a t e gover n m en t . Begin n in g in 1992, h e ser ved a s E xecu t ive Dir ect or of t h e Ut a h Depa r t m en t s of Com m er ce a n d Na t u r a l R esou r ces. An d sin ce 1998, Mr . S t ewa r t h a s ser ved a s t h e ch ief of st a ff of Gover n or Mik e L ea vit t .
Bu t n ow t h e S en a t e is m ovin g for - wa r d wit h t h e n om in a t ion of T ed S t ewa r t . I t h in k som e of m y collea gu es r ea lized t h ey h a d er r ed in dr a win g lin es in t h e sa n d, a n d t h a t t h eir posit ion t h r ea t en ed t o do la st in g da m a ge t o t h e S en a t e’s con fir m a t ion pr ocess, t h e in - t egr it y of t h e in st it u t ion , a n d, of cou r se, t h e ju dicia l br a n ch of Gover n - m en t .
- h a s been va ca n t sin ce 1997. S o
- I
- a m
deeply gr a t ified t h a t t h e S en a t e is n ow con sider in g Mr . S t ewa r t for con fir m a - t ion .
- I
- a m gr a t efu l t o m y collea gu es on
T h r ou gh ou t Mr . S t ewa r t ’s ca r eer , in
pr iva t e pr a ct ice, in t h e legisla t ive br a n ch , in t h e execu t ive br a n ch , a n d a s bot h sides of t h e a isle wh o h elped get t h is u p a n d r esolve wh a t r ea lly wa s a
- ver y ser iou s a n d
- I
- t h in k da n ger ou s
- a
- qu a si-ju dicia l officer , h e h a s ea r n ed
pr oblem for t h e S en a t e a s a wh ole a n d
for t h e ju dicia r y in pa r t icu la r . I y ield t h e floor . t h e r espect of t h ose wh o h a ve wor k ed for h im , t h ose wh o h a ve wor k ed wit h h im , a n d t h ose wh o wer e a ffect ed by
T h e r ecor d of t h e J u dicia r y Com -
- m it t ee in pr ocessin g n om in ees is
- a
T h e P R E S IDING OF F ICE R . Un der
t h e pr eviou s or der , t h e Ch a ir r ecogn izes t h e S en a t or fr om Iowa for u p t o 10 m in u t es. good on e. I believe t h e S en a t e r ea lized t h a t t h e Com m it t ee will con t in u e t o h old h ea r in gs on t h ose ju dicia l n om in ees wh o a r e qu a lified, h a ve a ppr opr ia t e ju dicia l t em per a m en t , a n d wh o r espect t h e r u le of la w. I h a d a ssu r ed
- h is decision s. An d
- a
- la r ge n u m ber of
people fr om a ll wa lk s of life a n d bot h sides of t h e polit ica l a isle h a ve wr it t en let t er s su ppor t in g Mr . S t ewa r t ’s n om in a t ion .
AIR T R ANS P OR T AT ION
IMP R OVE ME NT ACT —Con t in u ed
J a m es J en k in s, for m er P r esiden t of m y collea gu es of t h is befor e we r ea ch ed t h e Ut a h S t a t e Ba r , wr ot e, ‘‘T ed’s r ep-
- t h is t em por a r y im pa sse a n d I r eit er a t e u t a t ion for good ch a r a ct er a n d in du s-
- Mr . HAR KIN. I t h a n k t h e P r esiden t
- t h is com m it m en t t oda y .
- t r y a n d h is t em per a m en t of fa ir n ess, for t h is t im e a n d h is in du lgen ce wh ile