WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) issued the following statement today regarding the judicial nomination of Peter Welte:

“Peter Welte’s confirmation hearing has been scheduled for tomorrow, Wednesday, February 13th before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Peter is an excellent nominee with the right background and credentials to effectively serve North Dakotans from the federal bench, and I fully expect him to win the support of my colleagues this Wednesday.

“This news is a reminder that the Senate nomination process needs reform. Too often Senators- under the cloak of anonymity- stall the nominations of qualified candidates for reasons they’ll only discuss behind closed doors. That has to change. While I respect the important institutional role the Senate plays, the World’s Greatest Deliberative Body needs to get better at deliberating. I will continue working with my colleagues to reform the way we handle nominations.”

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