Political Quotes

“I am rising right now to speak about the urgency to quickly confirm two bipartisan members to the U.S. Sentencing Commission. Time is really of the essence as the term of two voting members, Judge Claria Horn Boom and Judge John Gleeson, will expire this Congress. For decades, the Senate has come together and confirmed all Commissioners to the Sentencing Commission by a voice vote and, on one occasion, two members by unanimous consent after they had been considered by the Judiciary Committee. This used to be just something easily done. There is no reason to depart from this incredible bipartisan precedent. We must confirm these two nominees today. Just as a reminder, Congress created the Sentencing Commission in 1984 as an independent Agency, housed in the judicial branch, to reduce sentencing disparities and to promote transparency and proportionality in sentencing. By statute, the Commission must have bipartisan representation amongst its members. It calls for our coming together. This mandate reflects the consensus-driven, evidence-based approach Congress has envisioned in making Federal criminal sentencing fairer and more balanced for the United States of America. The Sentencing Commission plays a critical role in our Federal legal system. It establishes sentencing policies and practices for Federal courts, and it promulgates and amends the sentencing guidelines, which serve as the cornerstone for every Federal judge when deciding a criminal sentence.…”