The Senate Judiciary Committee held an executive business meeting to consider pending nominations and legislation on May 7, 2009.

Agenda

I.  Nominations

William K. Sessions, III to be Chair of the United States Sentencing Commission
Ordered Reported

John Morton to be Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security, Department of Homeland Security
Ordered Reported

II. Bills

S. 417, State Secrets Protection Act (Leahy, Specter, Feingold, Cardin, Whitehouse)
Held Over

S. 257, Consumer Credit Fairness Act (Whitehouse, Durbin)
Held Over

H.R. 985/S. 448, Free Flow of Information Act of 2009 (Specter, Schumer, Graham, Klobuchar)
Held Over

S. 327, Improving Assistance to Domestic and Sexual Violence Victims Act of 2009 (Leahy, Hatch, Klobuchar, Kaufman)
Ordered Reported by Voice Vote, As Amended

Amendment JEN09803 - Leahy
Adopted by Unanimous Consent
Amendment HEN09242 - Kyl
Adopted by Unanimous Consent (As Amended)

Pending on the Senate's Executive Calendar is the nomination of Dawn Johnsen to be the Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Counsel.  Johnsen appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee on February 25.  Her nomination was reported on March 19. 

• Committee Questionnaire and Related Materials
• Letters Received in Connection with the Nomination

Also pending on the Senate's Executive Calendar is the nomination of Judge William K. Sessions, III, to be the Chair of the U.S. Sentencing Commission, and the nomination of John Morton to be the Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

William K. Sessions, III - Committee Questionnaire and Related Materials

John Morton - Committee Questionnaire and Related Materials

On May 1, 2009, Associate Supreme Court Justice David Souter announced his intent to retire when the Court's session concludes later this year.  Justice Souter was nominated to the Supreme Court by President George H. W. Bush in 1990, and the Senate confirmed his nomination by a vote of 90-9.

Before his confirmation to the high Court, Souter was a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of New Hampshire, and the Attorney General of New Hampshire.

Justice Souter is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School.

The Senate Judiciary Committee plays an important role in the consideration of nominations to fill vacancies on the Supreme Court.  For more information about the Supreme Court, click here.

On Tuesday, April 28, the Senate overwhelmingly passed anti-fraud legislation that was reported earlier this year by the Senate Judiciary Committee.  The Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act was introduced on February 5 by Committee Members Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), and Ted Kaufman (D-Del.).  On February 11, the Committee held a hearing to consider the legislation.  The Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act was reported by the Committee on March 5.

The Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act of 2009 is also cosponsored by Committee Members Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.).  In total, nearly 30 senators have cosponsored the legislation.

• The Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act of 2009
• Committee Report
• Statement of Administration Policy