Mark Bennett’s Nomination Approved by Senate Judiciary Committee
After 18-2 vote, Ninth Circuit Nominee will Now Be Considered by the Full Senate
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Mazie K. Hirono urged her colleagues on the Senate Judiciary Committee to support former Hawaii Attorney General Mark Bennett’s nomination to serve on the U.S. Circuit Court for the Ninth Circuit during a Committee markup today. Only Senators Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) opposed Mr. Bennett’s nomination in Committee.
From Senator Hirono’s remarks:
“Mr. Chairman, today we are voting on the nomination of Mark Bennett to the 9th Circuit from Hawaii. Mr. Bennett’s nomination was the result of a process of meaningful consultation that the White House Counsel engaged in with Senator Schatz and with me.
“At the beginning of the administration, we began this conversation with the White House that went back and forth in a respectful way, until we were all able to agree on the nominees. These nominees -- Mark Bennett for the Ninth Circuit and Jill Otake for the District Court -- will serve Hawaii well.
“Instead of foisting ideological nominees on us, the White House should follow the Hawaii model and collaborate with home-state Senators to nominate consensus judicial candidates.”
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