Political Quotes

“I rise in support of Richard Paez' nomination to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. And I must say, this vote is long, long overdue. I have heard a lot of talk here on the floor along the lines of hey--this is politics as usual. ``Oh when Senator Biden was chairman of the Judiciary Committee, we held nominees up all the time.'' Let me say this: forget my tenure as chairman of the Judiciary Committee. As far as I know, no judicial nominee in the history of this nation has waited as long as Judge Paez has for a vote. Four years is not even within the ballpark of a reasonable delay. Judge Paez is a well-respected, experienced jurist. We already confirmed his nomination to the federal district court bench. He has served with distinction for 6 years on the federal district court and for 13 years before that as a municipal court judge in Los Angeles. The American Bar Association has given Judge Paez its highest rating, pronouncing him ``well qualified.'' Judge Paez enjoys broad bipartisan support in his own community, including from law enforcement officials. Judge Paez is an honorable man, a man of integrity, and a man who has devoted his entire career to service--first, to service to the poor as a committed poverty lawyer, and then to service to the public at large as a state and then federal judge. His record does the President and his supporters proud.”