California Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer is blocking the nomination of former Republican Congressman James Rogan to the federal bench, due largely to Rogan’s leading role in the impeachment of President Bill Clinton.
Rogan served in the U.S. House from 1997 to 2001, and due to his background as a prosecutor, was selected as one of 13 House managers for the impeachment trial.
“U.S. Rep. Rogan was one of the most enthusiastic backers of impeachment — he thought President Clinton had committed high crimes and misdemeanors,” Boxer’s spokeswoman Natalie Ravitz said.
“The Senate certainly disagreed with that conclusion.”
President Bush nominated Rogan — now a state Superior Court judge in California — a year ago to a seat on the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, and renominated him in January after the new Democratic-controlled Congress convened, the Orange County Register reported.
But Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., does not advance judicial nominees if they do not have the support of their home-state senators, and Boxer and fellow California Democrat Sen. Dianne Feinstein have not committed to supporting Rogan, committee spokeswoman Erica Chabot told The Associated Press.
In addition to Rogan’s role in the impeachment proceedings, Boxer also objects to his conservative positions on gun control, abortion and other issues, according to Ravitz.
White House spokesman Trey Bohn said: “Judge Rogan enjoys broad bipartisan support and we urge the Senate to confirm him.”
© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.