Trent Lott: “What we do today with a vote on these nominations is important. It does matter. I am sure both of these two individuals…”

“What we do today with a vote on these nominations is important. It does matter. I am sure both of these two individuals, Richard Paez and Marsha Berzon, are fine people and are well intentioned in the positions they take, but we are going to vote on them being confirmed to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals for life. That is serious. Yes, the President has a right to make nominations to the Federal bench of his choice. However, we have a role in that process. We should, and we do, take it very seriously. We should not give a man or a woman life tenure if there is some problem with his or her background, whether academically or ethically, or if there is a problem with a series of decisions or positions they have taken. I certainly don't take this lightly. I would have preferred if these individuals had never been nominated, never been reported out of the Judiciary Committee, and that the situation would not have arisen in which there is this vote on the floor.”