Political Quotes

“It is customary for a Senator of a State, depending on the President's party, to be able to suggest to the White House a nominee to fill a vacancy on the Federal district judge and the Federal circuit court. That nominee is then given to the White House for approval and investigation, FBI background checks, the normal things. If the White House then clears that nominee, the name is sent to the Senate Judiciary Committee. A hearing is scheduled in the normal course where the person is brought before the committee. After the committee has done its investigation, questions are asked and then the person is brought for a vote and eventually finds their way to the floor. Under the Clinton administration, after the nominee came out of the White House, 63 times, 20 percent of the President's nominees were stopped at that point and never brought to a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee. So the argument that we have stopped four belies the reality that when we looked at the numbers from the Clinton administration, 20 percent, not 2 percent but 20 percent, of the judges never got their chance before the Judiciary Committee to even present their credentials and argue for their nomination. I say to the Senator from Nevada, that is a sad reality. Frankly, this President is being treated far better than President Clinton.”