Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I thank Senator Warner for taking this time to bring to the attention of our colleagues a very serious problem. One of the most fundamental responsibilities for a Member of the Senate is to advise and consent on the President's nominations. There are literally hundreds of appointments that are going to require our confirmation--more than that; thousands, actually, that we have to confirm. Our responsibility is to take the appointments the President has given us, to evaluate them, and then to act, either to confirm or not confirm. The American people depend on these individuals being in office to perform the services they need, whether it is services that come forward in the Department of the Treasury in dealing with the economic issues of this Nation, the regulatory functions that are important to protect consumers in America, to be able to give those who have been wronged an opportunity in our judicial system to have courts that can handle their dockets in a timely way. All that is dependent upon the Senate carrying out its responsibility to advise and consent to take up the nominations of the President. Look at what has happened in this Congress. Let me point out the district court judges. District court judges are the judges who hear the overwhelming number of cases. If you have a problem and you go to Federal court, you go to district courts. That is where 99 percent of the cases are going to be heard.…”