Senate Confirms First Latina to Federal Court of Appeals, Latino Judge Luis Felipe Restrepo Awaits Confirmation Vote

*Meanwhile, Luis Felipe Restrepo is still awaiting Senate confirmation to join the 3rd circuit Court of Appeals. VL

By Michael Oleaga, Latin Post

The U.S. Senate voted and approved the first Latina to serve on the country’s Court of Appeals for the Federal, but one other Latino nominee still awaits his confirmation vote amidst political gridlock.

Attorney Kara Farnandez Stoll and Judge Luis Felipe Restrepo, who currently serves for the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, were nominated by President Barack Obama last November, but the nominees encountered a lengthy nomination process in the Senate.

[pullquote]The Senate unanimously approved Stoll’s nomination with 95-0 on July 7. Five senators were not voting, including Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas.[/pullquote]

The Senate Judiciary Committee approved Stoll in April, which would allow the full Senate to officially vote on her confirmation. Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., praised Stoll’s work ahead of her vote. He stated, “She is superbly qualified, and once confirmed, she will be the first woman of color to serve on the Federal Circuit. She has the strong endorsement of the nonpartisan Hispanic National Bar Association as well as from the Federal Circuit Bar Association, and the American Intellectual Property Law Association.”

Leahy criticized Republicans for disrupting the nomination process, adding, “The Republican majority’s treatment of Ms. Farnandez Stoll’s nomination is more pattern than aberration…this glacial pace of confirmations is a dereliction of the Senate’s constitutional duty to provide advice and consent on judicial nominees. Many are concerned that such treatment threatens the functioning of our independent judiciary.”

Click HERE to read the full story.