Back in November 2014, President Barack Obama nominated Pennsylvanian and U.S. District Judge Luis Felipe Restrepo to join the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.

At the time, U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., made the following statement about the nomination:

“Judge Restrepo has served the people of Pennsylvania honorably and with distinction. I believe that he will also make a superb addition to the Third Circuit.”

Judge Restrepo is exactly the kind of person who would make an excellent judge on the federal appeals court bench, as he has a unique personal and professional background. The Senate unanimously confirmed him for his current position as a district court judge just two years ago.

Restrepo is just one example of a qualified judge who has been nominated for a federal court vacancy. We have a serious problem with federal court vacancies here in Pennsylvania, most especially here in Western Pennsylvania.

While Pennsylvanians experience justice delayed and denied every single day, it’s time for Sen. Toomey to do his job. Now that the Senate has returned from recess, a full vote for Restrepo should be his first priority.