Chuck Schumer: “I thank the Chair. I thank all my colleagues. This will go down, hopefully, as a fine night in the Senate, in the U.S.…”

“I thank the Chair. I thank all my colleagues. This will go down, hopefully, as a fine night in the Senate, in the U.S. Government. Armageddon has been avoided, and thank God for that. We in the Senate stepped right up to the precipice, but we did not fall in. This Republic works in amazing ways. And just as we were about to fall into an abyss of partisanship, of a destruction of the checks and balances that are the hallmark of this institution and this government, 12 Senators, many Democrats from red States, some Republicans from blue States, came together and created an agreement that I think serves this body well. Does it have everything that we would have wanted on this side? No. But it takes the nuclear option off the table. It says that filibusters may continue to be used, albeit in a restrained way--although many would argue 10 out of 218 was restrained in itself. It also asks the President to consult and that, to me, would be a key lesson of this agreement. The reason that we came so close to this Armageddon is because, in my judgment, we didn't have the typical consultation that previous Presidents--Clinton, Bush, Reagan--had with the Senate before nominating judges. The agreement widely states that it is the hope of the Senate--at least of the 12 signatories, but I am sure the other 88 Senators would join--that the President will begin to consult. That will not mean that judges will be so far from his political philosophy.…”