Statement of Senator Dianne Feinstein
on the Nomination Hearing of Priscilla Owen
July 23, 2002

Washington, DC - The Senate Judiciary Committee today convened a hearing, chaired by Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), on the nomination Priscilla Owen to the 5^th Circuit Court of Appeals. The following is the prepared text of Senator Feinstein's statement:

"I would like to welcome Priscilla Owen on behalf of the Judiciary Committee. Justice Owen comes to us with a distinguished record and with the recommendations of many respected individuals within her state of Texas. She currently sits as one of nine Justices on the Texas Supreme Court, which is the court of last resort for civil cases in that State.

Justice Owen is a graduate of Baylor University and Baylor Law School, and before joining the Texas Supreme Court in 1995 she was a partner in the law firm of Andrews & Kurth.

As indicated by the large number of people in this room - in fact, as indicated by the size of this room itself - this is a nomination that has received a lot of interest. My office has received dozens of letters of support and of opposition from organizations within Texas and from national organizations as well, and opinions on both sides of the debate are very, very strong.

I am keeping an open mind on this nominee, as I do with all nominees. I first met with her several weeks ago, and I found her to be personable, intelligent, and well spoken. It is clear to me that Justice Owen knows the law, that she is very capable, and that she would be an excellent advocate for a cause.

But the question this Committee must answer for this and all nominees is whether this individual would make a good federal judge. And that determination includes questions beyond intelligence and character. We must also ask questions about temperament, and the ability to decide cases on the law, not on personal beliefs.

The concerns that have been raised about Justice Owen go to the heart of these questions. Accusations have been made that Justice Owen too often stretches or even goes beyond the law as written by the Texas legislature to meet her personal beliefs on several core issues, including abortion and consumer rights.

I have read through a great deal of material about Justice Owen in preparation for this hearing, including a number of opinions she has written on a variety of subjects, and I can see where these concerns come from.

So I am very interested in hearing from Justice Owen on these issues today, after which I will carefully review the record, and make what is sure to be a difficult decision."

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