▁senior ▁status . ▁ ▁R angel ' s ▁nom ination ▁ran ▁into ▁trouble , ▁because ▁as ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁an ▁American ▁Bar ▁Association ▁screen ing ▁board ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s ▁and ▁early ▁ 1 9 9 0 s , ▁R angel ▁had ▁been ▁critical ▁of ▁some ▁Republic ans , ▁including ▁of ▁President ▁Re agan ' s ▁ 1 9 8 6 ▁ultimately ▁un success ful ▁nom ination ▁to ▁the ▁federal ▁ben ch ▁of ▁Jeff ▁S essions , ▁who ▁later ▁became ▁a ▁sen ator ▁and ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁very ▁U . S . ▁Senate ▁Jud ici ary ▁Committee ▁review ing ▁R angel ' s ▁nom ination . ▁ ▁In ▁addition , ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Senate ▁was ▁controlled ▁by ▁Republic ans ▁during ▁the ▁balance ▁of ▁Cl inton ' s ▁second ▁term , ▁causing ▁R angel ' s ▁nom ination ▁to ▁l angu ish . ▁ ▁R angel ▁waited ▁more ▁than ▁a ▁year ▁for ▁a ▁hearing ▁from ▁the ▁Republican - control led ▁U . S . ▁Senate ▁Jud ici ary ▁Committee , ▁but ▁never ▁received ▁one . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁Senate ▁adj ourn ed ▁in ▁the ▁fall ▁of ▁ 1 9 9 8 , ▁R angel ▁asked ▁Cl inton ▁not ▁to ▁res ub mit ▁his ▁name ▁to ▁the ▁next ▁session ▁of ▁Congress . ▁ ▁Cl inton ▁later ▁nominated ▁En rique ▁Mor eno ▁to ▁the ▁seat , ▁but ▁his ▁nom ination ▁also ▁l angu ished . ▁ ▁President ▁George ▁W . ▁Bush ▁nominated ▁Pr isc illa ▁O wen ▁to ▁the ▁seat