Barbara Mikulski: “I will put on a different hat. I was talking about appropriations. Now I will talk about a drama that is unfolding in…”

“I will put on a different hat. I was talking about appropriations. Now I will talk about a drama that is unfolding in the Senate which is the confirmation hearings on Judge John Roberts to go to the Supreme Court and to be the Chief Justice. I rise today to talk about this nomination because this is a decision of enormous consequence. One of the most significant and far-reaching votes a Senator can make relates to the Supreme Court. Why? Because it is irrevocable. When you vote for a Supreme Court Justice, that Justice has a lifetime appointment. Unless there is an impeachment, which is rare, it is forever. The hearings are incredibly important, they provide the Senate and the American public with the opportunity to know more about where the nominee stands on core constitutional principles. I urge Judge Roberts to answer the questions that the Committee asks of him. But equally important is completing the picture. The Senate should have access to the full record of the nominee who is going into the hearings. We need to know more about Judge Roberts. We have all met him. We find him personable. We find him smart. We find him capable. But we wonder, what is his judicial philosophy. What will he be like, not only as a member of Court but now as the Chief Justice. Look back to the record, not only the resume but to the record.…”