Political Quotes

“I have an extraordinary responsibility as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee--important legislation and, probably more important, the filling of vacancies in our Federal judiciary. Under article III of our Constitution, we create judges, and there are approximately 890 of these Federal judges across the United States. As vacancies occur, as they often do, the Senate Judiciary Committee, working with the White House and Members of the Senate, has to do background checks on these individuals, submit them to the FBI for further background checks, do our own due diligence, consider them in an open hearing before the committee, and ultimately vote in committee before they come to the floor for advice and consent. So far this year--I should say in this term--under President Biden, we have had 181 Federal judges who have gone through this process--been cleared on the floor, reported out of the Senate--and are now serving their Nation in this capacity. I can tell you that it is not an easy process. Lengthy questionnaires are given to each nominee to identify so many details of their lives, I find it hard to believe they kept track and record of it, but they did. Then, of course, Agencies call to verify the contents and answers in those questionnaires. Then they go through close scrutiny by the staff of the Judiciary Committee on both sides, Democrats and Republicans. Then comes the day of reckoning when they have their hearing in a public setting.…”