Political Quotes

“I would say to my colleague from Connecticut: Amen. And I would say to my colleague from Oregon: Thank you for your courtesy in letting me go ahead, in light of the fact we have a Federal judge coming up for a vote at 5:30. I am very grateful to the Judiciary Committee--to both the Democrats and the Republicans--in allowing us to vote, and I urgently implore we confirm Judge Sheri Polster Chappell to the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida. While I rise to speak in favor of Judge Chappell, I want to express my concern for the growing partisanship that is dragging down our efforts to fill these judicial vacancies across the Nation. In the past we have had qualified consensus judicial nominees who would be confirmed in weeks, if not in days. Unfortunately, even the judicial nominees who have the support of both Senators from the State--and sometimes, as is the case of Florida where we have the Republican Senator, Senator Rubio, and myself, the Democratic Senator--we are still finding the judges are being held up. We are experiencing waiting months for an up-or-down vote only to then have them confirmed overwhelmingly.”