Washington State Senate

  Republican Caucus

 

For Immediate Release:                                            For Interviews Contact:

March 10, 2003                                                           Sen. James E. West, (360) 786-7610

                                                                                                                                               

State Senate asks U.S. Senate to confirm Miguel Estrada

 

OLYMPIA…The state Senate voted 26-22 today to approve Senate Joint Memorial 8020, urging the U.S. Senate to vote to confirm Miguel Estrada as a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.

 

“Mr. Estrada would be the first Hispanic in history to sit on that court, which is widely viewed as the most important and prestigious Court of Appeals in the nation,” said Senate Majority Leader James E. West, R-Spokane. “The American Bar Association unanimously gave Estrada its highest rating and his supervisors in the Solicitor General’s Office gave him the highest possible rating in every category, in every rating period. Estrada is a clear choice, and we want Congress to know where Washington stands on this issue.”

 

The South Dakota Senate also passed a similar resolution on March 6 of this year. The resolution passed 28-3, with four abstentions.

 

“President George W. Bush nominated Estrada to fill a vacancy on the court on May 9, 2001. Since then, the Senate has spent more than 100 hours debating the Estrada nomination,” West said. “Our federal legislators need to choose Estrada and move on to more important issues facing our nation.”

 

Estrada arrived in the United States from Honduras at the age of 17. Five years later, he graduated magna cum laude from Columbia University. He later graduated from Harvard Law School, magna cum laude.

 

“Estrada is a poster child for the American Dream,” West said. “Through hard work and diligence, he came to the United States and found success. Estrada is the clear choice for this nomination.”

 

 

A copy of the resolution is attached for your convenience.

 

For further information contact Bert Mills at (360) 786-7510 or mills_be@leg.wa.gov

Visit the Senate Republican Caucus Media Center at http://www.src.wa.gov for the latest news and information from the Senate Republican Caucus.

 

S-1966.2 _____________________________________________

SENATE JOINT MEMORIAL 8020

_____________________________________________

 

State of Washington 58th Legislature 2003 Regular Session

By Senators West, Oke, Hale, Zarelli, Esser, Swecker, Schmidt,

Honeyford, Stevens, Deccio, Sheahan, Hewitt, Horn, Mulliken, Morton,

Finkbeiner, McCaslin, Carlson, Parlette, Rossi, Johnson, Brandland,

Roach and Benton

 

 

Read first time 02/28/2003. Referred to Committee on Judiciary.

 

 

 

 

 

1 TO THE HONORABLE GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES,

2 AND TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF

3 REPRESENTATIVES, AND TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE

4 UNITED STATES, IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED:

5 We, your Memorialists, the Senate and House of Representatives of

6 the State of Washington, in legislative session assembled, respectfully

7 represent and petition as follows:

8 WHEREAS, On May 9, 2001, President Bush nominated Miguel A. Estrada

9 to fill a vacancy on the United States Court of Appeals for the

10 District of Columbia Circuit; and

11 WHEREAS, Mr. Estrada's credentials go uncontested beginning with

12 his mastery of the English language and American culture upon his

13 arrival to the United States as an immigrant from Honduras and his

14 graduation magna cum laude from Columbia University and Harvard Law

15 School, where Mr. Estrada was an editor of the Harvard Law Review; and

16 WHEREAS, From 1990 to 1992, Mr. Estrada served as an Assistant

17 United States Attorney and Deputy Chief of the Appellate Section in the

18 Southern District of New York; and

19 WHEREAS, In late 1992, Mr. Estrada joined the United States

20 Department of Justice as an Assistant to the Solicitor General; and

p. 1 SJM 8020

1 WHEREAS, In those capacities, Mr. Estrada represented the

2 government in numerous jury trials and in many appeals before the

3 United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit; and

4 WHEREAS, Mr. Estrada was unanimously rated "well qualified" by the

5 American Bar Association; and

6 WHEREAS, Over a year-and-a-half has passed without a vote on the

7 Senate floor; and

8 WHEREAS, The Senate Judiciary Committee has issued a favorable

9 report to the United States Senate; and

10 WHEREAS, Mr. Estrada has received support from liberal and

11 conservative colleagues alike who attest that he is one of the most

12 brilliant and effective appellate lawyers in the country; and

13 WHEREAS, Organizations who support Mr. Estrada include the League

14 of United Latin American Citizens, United States Hispanic Chamber of

15 Commerce, Hispanic National Bar Association, Hispanic Business

16 Roundtable, and The Latino Coalition; and

17 WHEREAS, Mr. Estrada would be the first Hispanic in the country to

18 sit on the United States Court of Appeals District of Columbia Circuit,

19 an important and prestigious position within the nation's Court of

20 Appeals;

21 NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully pray that the United

22 States Senate confirm Mr. Estrada to serve as a judge on the United

23 States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.

24 BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately

25 transmitted to the Honorable George W. Bush, President of the United

26 States, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the

27 House of Representatives, and each member of Congress from the State of

28 Washington.