John Sarbanes: “The able Senator from Vermont is very perceptive because he anticipated the next point I want to go to, which is to…”

“The able Senator from Vermont is very perceptive because he anticipated the next point I want to go to, which is to contrast what happened last year with what happened in the last year of the Bush Presidency, 1992, an election year. The Senate majority was then in Democratic hands, and yet we confirmed 11 judges for the court of appeals nominated--nominated--by President Bush and 55 judges for the district court nominated by President Bush, for a total of 66 judges. Last year, a comparable situation, except it was reversed. We had a Democratic President making the nominations; the Republicans controlled the Senate; 17 judges, a total of 17 judges. No court of appeals judges, 17 district judges compared with 66 judges in the last year of President Bush's term. In fact, the last year of President Reagan's term, again with a Democratic Senate, we confirmed 7 court of appeals judges and 35 district court judges.”