Political Quotes

“I thank the Presiding Officer. Earlier this week and last I spoke at length about the need for my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to do their job and to move forward with hearings and an up-or-down vote on whomever the President nominates to the Supreme Court. The outcry from the public continues from every corner of our justice system. Let's just recount quickly what happened after the tragic and untimely death of Justice Scalia. Within an hour or so, the Republican leader of the Senate said: Don't bother sending up a nominee. History suggests that we won't do this in the last year of the Presidency. We are not going to do hearings. Don't even bother. Other Republican Senators, sort of like one bird flying off the telephone wire--they all fly off a telephone wire--one Republican Senator after another, first said no hearings. Then, after the majority leader said that he would not even meet with prospective nominees, other Republican Senators said they wouldn't meet with nominees. Just imagine that. We work hard to run for these offices. It is hard to get to the Senate. When we win, within a month and a half or 2 months later, we take an oath of office. We get paid to do our jobs. But they are just not doing their job. The Constitution says the President shall nominate to fill a vacancy on the Supreme Court, and the Constitution says the Senate shall advise and consent--not except in the last year of the President's term, not only if we feel like it.…”