ms. halligan did not.ould also point out that she co-authored an amicus brief before the supreme court in the 2009 case of almari. ms. halligan's brief in that case took a position similar to the 2004 report with respect to military detention of terrorists. in that case she argued that the authorization for use of military force law did not authorize the seizure and indefinite military detention of a lawful permit resident alien who conspired with al qaeda to execute terror attacks on our country. the fact that ms. halligan co-authored this brief pro bono suggests to me she supported the conclusions reached by the 2004 report and again this issue is particularly troublesome for a nominee to the d.c. circuit where, as i've already said, many of these questions are heard. there are a number of other aspects of the record concerning me -- concerns me. most, for instance, she authored an informal opinion on behalf of attorney general spitzer regarding new york's domestic relations law. that opinion evoked a th

ms. halligan has been nominated to fill the ninth seat, one of three current vacancies on the court. the senate confirmed four of president bush's nominees for the d.c. circuit. however, the court's caseload is higher now than it was under president bush's -- when president bush's nominees were confirmed. if ms. halligan was confirmed today, it would reduce the caseload from its current caseload of 161 pending cases to approximately 143 cases per judge. womewomen has been woefully underrepresented by the d.c. circuit often characterized as the second-most important court in our entire nation. only five of the 57 judges serving throughout the history of the d.c. circuit have been women. 91% of the judges on this court throughout its 41-year-old history have been men. if we continue down this road of filibustering nominees simply because their nomination originates across the aisle, we are establishing an impossible standard that no nominee could or would ever meet. caitlin deserves an up-or-down vote, just as the republicans have advocated for their proliferate judicial nominees. the

ms. halligan is not being treated in an unfair manner. in fact, her nomination is proceeding far better than many phenomenon natured to this court. by remind my colleagues that previous nominees were subjected