Political Quotes

Watson Coleman: “I hope they are listening. They should be listening. These are important times. What my colleagues on the other side are…”

On the recordFebruary 13, 2003
I hope they are listening. They should be listening. These are important times. What my colleagues on the other side are doing by engaging in this filibuster is really changing the constitutional standard. And we love this Constitution. It talks about the Senate's role in providing advice and consent. In practice that has always meant 51 votes--a majority. The Constitution specifically lays out when a super majority is needed. What we are witnessing now is a change in the way we abide by this important document, where we will now require 60 votes to get our nation's judges confirmed. That is not good for America, and that is certainly not what our Founders wanted to do.
Said by
Watson Coleman
New Jersey

Editor's note · Context

Addressing the filibuster related to the Estrada nomination during Senate floor debate.

Share

More from Watson Coleman

May 3, 2021

I think that, by and large, there is bipartisan support for what we are intending to accomplish on behalf of these front-line employees.

congress.gov
May 3, 2021

They are confronted with all kinds of possible dangerous situations; but they show up, and their purpose is to keep us safe.

congress.gov
May 9, 2022

I have seen the value of neighborhood preservation programs where you go into a neighborhood that is kind of declining, you have got nice homes and then you have got a few homes that are in real trouble, and you apply those resources to…

congress.gov
Mar 27, 2023

A total of $185 million in grants were awarded to 45 projects across the country to help reconnect these communities that are cut off from opportunity and burdened by past transportation infrastructure decision.

congress.gov

Other voices in this conversation