Political Quotes

“I thank the ranking member for yielding, and I appreciate the opportunity to speak on this important topic of filling the Supreme Court vacancy. Madam Speaker, many of our colleagues in this Chamber carry a pocket Constitution--I have got one here myself--to remind ourselves of our duty to the country. Article II, section 2, the so-called Appointments Clause, is very clear. It says that the President shall have the power to nominate and, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, shall appoint ambassadors, other public ministers and consuls, judges of the Supreme Court. It says ``shall,'' Madam Speaker. It doesn't say ``may.'' It doesn't say ``might.'' It says ``shall.'' Yet, many of our Senate colleagues on the Republican side--the very same people who routinely will brandish the Constitution as they speak to justify their actions--are now ignoring the very plain text of the Constitution. Mitch McConnell suggested that the President should not even have put forward a nominee for this vacancy on the Supreme Court. In other words, he suggested the President shouldn't do the job that the Constitution clearly dictates he should do. Well, the President decided he was going to do his job. And all we are asking is that the Members of the Senate do their job. If you look at the nominee, Merrick Garland, it is hard to imagine a person better qualified to be on the Supreme Court.…”