Frank Lautenberg: “I wish to take an opportunity to discuss the appointment of Miguel Estrada to the circuit court and to raise an…”

“I wish to take an opportunity to discuss the appointment of Miguel Estrada to the circuit court and to raise an objection I share with other colleagues on this side of the aisle. I come out of the business world. I think of how I might react if I were interviewing a senior executive candidate, and if that individual refused to answer relevant questions about his experience or her views, or what kind of a life attitude had developed in that person's mind, I sure would not be putting them on my payroll. To respond to our colleague from Georgia who raises legitimate questions about why there is opposition on our side, the Senator challenges the fact that Mr. Estrada's lack of experience--I think if I heard him correctly--could even be an asset. The Senator also alluded to the fact he came here without experience. I certainly did. I came here directly from the business community. I came here without experience. He and I and the occupant of the Chair have a job that is less than permanent. My colleague from Georgia and my colleague in the Chair got here because they terminated someone else's tenure in office. If that was the condition, if we were not talking about a lifetime appointment, we would not be having this debate, in my view.”