Jim Bunning: “Today marks 918 days after Miguel Estrada's nomination. He has never received an up-or-down vote. That is unfair to him…”

“Today marks 918 days after Miguel Estrada's nomination. He has never received an up-or-down vote. That is unfair to him, President Bush, and the American people. Miguel Estrada is a respected attorney here in Washington. He received a unanimous 'well qualified' rating from the ABA which is the rating our Democrat colleagues call the gold standard for judges. He would have been the first Hispanic to sit on the prestigious DC circuit. He was a clerk at the Supreme Court. He graduated with distinction from Harvard Law School and argued many cases before the Supreme Court. He even served in the Clinton administration. But that is not the most impressive part of Miguel Estrada's story. He was born in Honduras and came to America at age 17 speaking little English. He overcame that hurdle and graduated from one of our most exclusive colleges and law schools. He also overcame a speech disability. And this is no small hurdle to clear when your career depends on making successful oral arguments in court. Miguel Estrada became a victim of politics in the Senate when some here said his views were unknown.”