Hearing Held For 9th Circuit Court Nominee

Washington, DC - Idaho Senator Larry Craig chaired a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing today regarding the nomination of William G. Myers III to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Senator Craig had the following to say regarding Mr. Myers:â??As an attorney, Mr. Myers has an impeccable record of being an effective advocate for his clients. As a judge, Mr. Myers will be an unimpeachable advocate for the law.â??Mr. Myersâ?? nomination has been exploited by some environmental groups as an opportunity to criticize President Bushâ??s actions on natural resource policy. While I am more than willing to discuss those issues and the positive steps forward by President Bush, this nomination is neither the time nor the place. The delay is a disservice to not only Bill and his family, but to the people of the Ninth Circuit who are eager to improve the Courtâ??s makeup and ability to rule in a timely manner.â??Senator Mike Crapo also testified in favor of Mr. Myers. He had the following to say: "As those of us from the Western states that make up the 9th Circuit know, Bill's knowledge and firsthand experience with energy, agriculture, and public lands issues is certainly an asset, if not a requirement, for a judge sitting on the 9th Circuit. I am pleased to recognize the broad, bipartisan support we are seeing for this nomination from people who have worked with Bill and know him well." Mr. Myers has received broad, bi-partisan support, including Idahoâ??s Congressional Delegation, former Governor and Secretary of the Interior Cecil Andrus, an official of the Nature Conservancy, tribes, and 15 State Attorneys General. In addition, the American Bar Association gave him a qualified rating.The hearing will be broadcast on C-SPAN, which is public domain video. Check www.c-span.org for the programming schedule.Senator Craigâ??s statement is available on his website at .[30]