Gerald Ford judicial appointment controversies Herbert De Simone (nominated August 5, 1976), and James Andersen (nominated August 6, 1976). Gerald Ford judicial appointment controversies During President Gerald Ford's presidency, he nominated two people for two different federal appellate judgeships who were not processed by the Democratic-controlled Senate Judiciary Committee before Ford's presidency ended. Neither of the two nominees was renominated by Ford's successor, President Jimmy Carter. Both nominees were nominated after July 1, 1976, the traditional start date of the unofficial Thurmond Rule during a presidential election year. Both seats eventually were filled by appointees of President Jimmy Carter. The two nominees were blocked in
USS Gerald R. Ford named the USS "Gerald Ford"." The final version signed by President George W. Bush on 17 October 2006 declared only that it "is the sense of Congress that ... CVN-78 should be named the U.S.S. "Gerald R. Ford"." Since such "sense of" language is typically non-binding and does not carry the force of law, the Navy was not required to name the ship after Ford. On 3 January 2007, former United States Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld announced that the aircraft carrier would be named after Ford during a eulogy for President Ford at Grace Episcopal Church in East Grand