Political Quotes

“as U.S. Senators we have a constitutional obligation to consider nominees to important positions. That is one of our constitutional responsibilities. Judges play an essential role in our society, and we should give qualified nominees the fair shot they deserve. Sadly, the Republican Senate has refused to do its job. They have a new standard: Unless the judge-to-be passes the test on the National Rifle Association, as stated by the Republican leader on national TV, they can't vote for him. The Judiciary Committee has been hammered--and that is an understatement--day after day in the State of Iowa, the home State of the chairman of the committee. This is a headline from the largest newspaper in the State, the Des Moines Register: ``Grassley leads slowdown of judicial confirmations.'' Here is what this headline is all about: The Republican-controlled Senate Judiciary Committee and its Chairman, Senator Grassley, have fallen far behind any comparable Senate in confirming judicial nominations. Reading directly from the Des Moines Register article: Even before the current controversy over consideration of a Supreme Court justice, action on federal court nominations has slowed markedly since U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley took control of the Senate Judiciary Committee.…”