Mike Levin: “since the majority has now determined we will spend 30 hours of the time of the Senate rehashing 4 of the 172 judicial…”

“since the majority has now determined we will spend 30 hours of the time of the Senate rehashing 4 of the 172 judicial nominations that haven't been confirmed, I want to address what is an even deeper issue than the majority's effort to weaken and water down the role of the Senate in exercising its advice-and-consent responsibility. That even more fundamental issue is our Nation's historic and constitutional system of checks and balances. Those checks and balances are an integral part of the unique design of our founding document in restraining the potential excesses and extremes of the executive branch. We share the obligation and responsibility with the judicial branch. Our rules in the Senate are aimed at restraining the potential abuse of the rights of the minority by the majority within the legislative branch itself.”