Mike Levin: “for the second time, this Congress we are considering the nomination to the Supreme Court. Having confirmed Judge John…”

“for the second time, this Congress we are considering the nomination to the Supreme Court. Having confirmed Judge John Roberts as Chief Justice in September, a decision in which I joined, we are now debating the nomination of Judge Samuel Alito to the position of Associate Justice. Positions on the Supreme Court are hugely significant given their lifetime tenures, the balance on the Court, and the importance of the Court's decisions on the lives of Americans. These votes are among the most important and difficult that we cast. Article II, section 2 of the Constitution simply provides that the President ``shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint . . . Judges of the Supreme Court. . . .'' The Constitution gives us no guidance on the factors the Senate should consider while we carry out this constitutional duty. In the end, each Senator must determine what qualities he or she thinks a good Supreme Court Justice should have and what scope of inquiry is necessary to determine if the prospective nominee has these qualities. This will be the 11th Supreme Court nomination on which I will have voted.…”