Jon Kyl: “I rise in support of Judge Alito's nomination to the Supreme Court and urge my colleagues to quickly confirm him. I…”

“I rise in support of Judge Alito's nomination to the Supreme Court and urge my colleagues to quickly confirm him. I begin by observing that the party-line vote in the Judiciary Committee yesterday raises a troubling question for the full Senate, and it is basic to our deliberations. What is the proper test for determining whether to confirm a nominee to the Supreme Court? Until very recently, the Senate has evaluated whether the nominee was qualified--that is, whether he or she possessed the requisite experience, integrity, and temperament to serve. But a new test has been proposed by Judiciary Committee Democrats: will the nominee provide assurances that he or she will rule a particular way on cases sure to come before the Court? Before I discuss the ramifications of that troubling question, though, I would like to apply the traditional test--the proper test--to the nominee before us. A Supreme Court Justice should be an experienced judge. Samuel Alito has more Federal judicial experience than all but one nominee in U.S. history, Horace Lurton, who was nominated by President Taft. In 15 years of service, Judge Alito has authored more than 360 opinions and participated in more than 4,800 decisions. It is an extensive record. A Supreme Court Justice should be deeply familiar with American constitutional law.…”