Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, hit back at Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., for potentially blocking President Barack Obama's federal court nominees, one including a Latino judge, for an appeals court.

During an interview for a conservative talk show, McConnell said the Senate has confirmed federal district court judge nominees who have received support from Republican senators and said it is "highly likely" to continue such approach. According to The Hill, McConnell spokesman Don Stewart clarified the majority leader's comment, stating, "[McConnell] said nothing of the sort. He said we're going to continue to do judges. There's not a shutdown. We probably will have a circuit court nominee."

Reid went to the Senate floor to address McConnell's comments, which could affect Obama's judicial nominee for the Third Circuit Court of Appeals -- Judge Luis Felipe Restrepo, currently serving for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania since June 2013.

Last November, Obama nominated Restrepo to the Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, which covers Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The seat, however, has been vacant for 18 months. As Latin Post reported, the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts labeled the vacant seat as a "judicial emergency vacancy."

Despite praising Obama for Restrepo's nomination in November, Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Penn., waited until mid-May to submit his approval for a Senate Judicial Committee hearing on Restrepo's nomination. Toomey said the delay was because he was waiting for the Judiciary Committee's background check on Restrepo to finish, even though the he also received a background check in 2013 during the nomination process for the District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Sen. Robert Casey, D-Penn., submitted his approval last November. Restrepo's nomination hearing with the Senate Judiciary Committee will finally take place on June 10.

Reid said if McConnell's talk-show statements were accurate, it "would be a stunning and disappointing declaration."

"I've spoken before about the nomination of Felipe Restrepo for the Third Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia. After repeated delays, the Judiciary Committee will finally consider Judge Restrepo's nomination on Wednesday. This is an incredibly qualified nominee who enjoys vast bipartisan support, including both Pennsylvania Senators," said Reid.

"The Republican Senator from Pennsylvania, Sen. Toomey, has said Judge Restrepo would be a 'superb addition to the Third Circuit.' So it must have been shocking for the junior Senator from Pennsylvania to learn that his judicial pick would face another delay -- perhaps indefinitely. This is a blatant rejection of the Senate's constitutional duties."

The Senate minority leader said if McConnell's statement was misinterpreted, then he should schedule a vote for other judicial nominees.

"Let's hope that the majority leader will reflect upon his past statements about the fair consideration of judicial nominees," said Reid. "Let's hope he does not stand in the way. Let's hope that that the Senate will quickly confirm these well-qualified judges."

As Latin Post reported, Restrepo, born in Colombia, received his B.A. University of Pennsylvania in 1981 and later become the Defender Association of Philadelphia's assistant defender from 1987 to 1990. In 2006, he served as a federal magistrate judge. During his time as a federal magistrate judge, he was involved in Eastern District of Pennsylvania's reentry program to reintegrate individuals released from federal custody in collaboration with the U.S. Attorney's Office, Federal Defenders Office and U.S. Probation Office.

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