Trent Lott: “Mr. President, the debate that has been taking place for nearly 24 hours is the culmination of 9 months of…”

“Mr. President, the debate that has been taking place for nearly 24 hours is the culmination of 9 months of obstructionism by a minority of Senators who have subverted the Constitution's advice and consent provisions and undermined the very fundamental tenets of democracy. It is an elementary principle of democratic government that the majority determines the outcome of political questions. Certainly the minority has a right to state it's case and have input into the issues. But at the end of the day, when the final decision is at hand, a majority decides the outcome. Yet in the 108th Congress we have seen an unprecedented attack on this core principle of democracy. Instead of majority rule as our governing principle, we have the rule of the minority. Four nominees to the Courts of Appeal are supported by a clear majority of Senators. Yet a minority of Senators refuses to allow the Senate to vote on these nominations. The Founding Fathers well recognized the dangers inherent in granting a minority a veto over the will of the majority.”