Political Quotes

“I was unavailable for rollcall vote No. 274, on the nomination of Mark T. Esper, of Virginia, to be Secretary of the Army. I believe Mr. Esper is well qualified to be the Secretary of the Army. Had I been present, I would have voted yea. I would also note that I was unavailable for this rollcall vote because I was serving as ranking member at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing for judicial nominees--and specifically a panel of four district court nominees from Kentucky and Kansas that had been enthusiastically endorsed by Majority Leader McConnell and Senators Roberts and Moran earlier that morning. Senator Cruz--who was serving as the acting chair of the committee for this hearing at this time--and I had hoped that the vote would be held open long enough for us to participate. (At the request of Mr. Schumer, the following statement was ordered to be printed in the Record.) ____________________”