María Elvira Salazar: “I want to let the President, the Members of this Chamber, and the people of the United States know that in my view, that…”

“I want to let the President, the Members of this Chamber, and the people of the United States know that in my view, that is not at all the case, and it is a notion that we should, in fact, reject. We should reject it because it is divisive. Instead, what we ought to be doing in the United States of America is moving forward with a sense of unity and a celebration of diversity that can unite us as a country. The fact is, the debate that has occurred in this Chamber over the last several days concerning Judge Alberto Gonzales is an appropriate debate. We do not have a king in these United States. We have a President who appoints, subject to the advice and consent of the Senate. And for the Senate to have engaged in the debate and dialog, as it has over the last several days, is the appropriate constitutional role for this Senate. The questions that have been raised about Judge Gonzales are questions that are very serious about international law and international accords and the laws of these United States.”