María Elvira Salazar: “I thank my wonderful friend from Vermont for his great leadership in the Senate Judiciary Committee, along with Senator…”

“I thank my wonderful friend from Vermont for his great leadership in the Senate Judiciary Committee, along with Senator Specter. I rise today concerning the nomination of Judge John Roberts to be Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. I have interviewed and recommended the appointment of many men and women who serve as State and Federal judges in my home State of Colorado. I am no stranger to analyzing the record of a candidate for the judiciary. I am no stranger to evaluating the character and temperament of people to serve in these positions. Yet I know this confirmation vote is special. It is one of the most significant votes that I will cast during my tenure as a Senator. I know this vote is likely to endure the rest of my life and the lives of those who serve in this Chamber. The decisions of the Supreme Court significantly affect the everyday lives of the people in my State and all the people who live throughout our great Nation. The Chief Justice is first among equals among the nine Justices who make these decisions. The Chief Justice's ability to run the Court's conferences and to assign opinions gives the Chief Justice important influence on the directions taken by the Court. The Chief Justice molds and defines the cohesiveness of the Court in the sense that he or she can lead efforts to reduce separate and complicated opinions and to make the opinions of the Court clear and understandable to all.…”