Mike Thompson: “I have a couple of points. With regard to the desire for symmetry, I point out that the symmetry and the balance are…”

“I have a couple of points. With regard to the desire for symmetry, I point out that the symmetry and the balance are provided for in the Constitution itself. It is not symmetrical to take a constitutional provision and our constitutional duties, on the one hand, and equate it with legislation that people might be for or against, on the other. The Constitution provides that the President has the power to make the appointment, but only with the advice and consent of the Senate. It is part of our separation of powers, part of our checks and balances. Therein is the balance. What we have today is a situation where the President, the current President, as Presidents in the past, has made nominations and figured out ways around the prerogatives of the Senate. We are in a situation today where we are not doing our duty. The U.S. Senate is not doing its duty in upholding its right and protecting and preserving its right.”