Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) - Former state lawmaker Rob Junell, nominated in July for a federal judgeship in
West Texas, found himself waiting a little longer Wednesday for his nomination to be considered by a
Senate committee.
Junell was in line to be considered the same day as three nominees for federal circuit court vacancies.
Instead, he found himself spending most of the day with an up-close view of the acrimonious debate
over judicial nominees between Republicans and Democrats.
Junell declined comment while awaiting confirmation by the Senate committee, common protocol for
nominees. If confirmed by the committee, his nomination would have to be approved by the full Senate.
A former Democratic state lawmaker who campaigned for President Bush, Junell was recommended
by Texas' Republican senators for a vacancy in the Western District, based at Midland, in March.
The vacancy is considered a "judicial emergency" because of the court's overwhelming workload,
largely due to increased immigration and drug-related cases, said Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison,
R-Texas.
Hutchison said Junell is a friend who quickly moved a legislative bill she requested while she was state
treasurer to limit general obligation debt.
"I have a deep appreciation for his dedication to fairness and commitment to hard work," Hutchison
told the committee upon introducing him.
Junell is originally from El Paso and an attorney with a San Angelo law firm. He served seven terms in
the Texas House of Representatives and was chairman of the House Budget Committee. He is a
graduate of Texas Tech University and its law school and is an Army veteran.
The Senate Judiciary Committee hearing was the first since Republicans returned to the majority in the
Senate. Republicans hold a one-vote advantage on the committee and have been determined to speed
up hearings for Bush's judicial nominees.
The committee spent a significant part of Wednesday's hearing arguing over how quickly the process
was moving. Democrats argued they should not have to consider nominees for the three critical
appeals positions in a single day.
Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, made a plea to fellow Senate Judiciary committee members for a "fresh
start" to prevent long waits for confirmation by judicial nominees.
"I don't think it serves the American public to point the finger across the aisle," he said. "I do think it
would be worthwhile for the committee to consider on a bipartisan basis trying to come up with some
rules that would guide the committee, regardless of who happens to be in power."
Asked to give up the microphone by another member, Cornyn declined. "I've waited a long time, if you
just give me a couple seconds," he said, and continued his plea for a better process for nominating
and confirming judges.
Hutchison and Cornyn also have recommended four Texans for other judicial positions.
On Tuesday, they nominated Lee Yeakel, a 3rd Texas Court of Appeals judge, to fill a vacancy in
Austin; Kathleen Cardone, a Texas visiting judge, to serve in a new federal judgeship in El Paso;
Marcia Crone, a Houston magistrate, to fill a new judgeship in Beaumont and Frank Montalvo, 288th
district court judge in San Antonio, for a new federal judgeship in El Paso.
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On the Net: Senate Judiciary Committee: http://www.senate.gov/ 7/8judiciary/index.cfm
