James M. Talent: “I will claim 20 minutes of the time. I will appreciate it if the Presiding Officer notifies me when 15 minutes are up…”

“I will claim 20 minutes of the time. I will appreciate it if the Presiding Officer notifies me when 15 minutes are up because Senator Hutchison wants to use 10 minutes. I want to make certain everyone knows I do not intend to filibuster this morning. There will be a limit to my remarks. I appreciated what the leader said about the highway bill. We do need to pass it. We need to pass a robust highway bill for all the reasons he stated. We are all very strongly for reducing the deficit, but spending on infrastructure is dynamic in nature, as I happen to believe tax cuts are dynamic in nature in the sense they produce economic growth. When we reduce the deficit, make this country competitive, help people get to work, Americans will get rid of the deficit if they can get to work in the morning. We need to have that debate in the Senate. Everyone needs to vote their conscience and vote out a robust highway and transportation bill. That is not what I am here to talk about this morning. I am here to talk about judicial nominations. We have spent altogether too much time on judicial nominations the last 2 years, 150 hours on judicial nominations--not even Supreme Court nominations but court of appeals nominations. We have been told over and over again how important they are. And they are important. They are the second highest court in the country. There are only three levels of courts in the country so the second highest court is also the second lowest court.…”