Bush appoints Catholic appeals court nominee, bypasses Senate

Published: 2004-02-23

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- President Bush bypassed Senate Democrats Feb. 20 by appointing Alabama Attorney General William Pryor, a Catholic, as a federal appeals court judge who will serve until 2005. Bush praised Pryor as a "leading American lawyer" whose "impressive record demonstrates his devotion to the rule of law and to treating all people equally under the law." Pryor took the oath of office in Alabama Feb. 20 and joined the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, which covers Alabama, Georgia and Florida and is based in Atlanta. During a congressional recess, the president can make temporary appointments such as Pryor's without Senate approval. Last summer, his nomination was blocked in the Senate by the failure of a motion for cloture, a procedural call for an immediate vote. The 53-43 tally fell short of the 60 votes needed.

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