Ron Wyden: “I speak today about the issue of secret holds on nominations and legislation before this body. Nowhere in the…”

“I speak today about the issue of secret holds on nominations and legislation before this body. Nowhere in the Constitution nor in our Federal statutes is there any mention of the right of a U.S. Senator to put a secret hold on a bill or a nomination. Nevertheless, this power is one of the two or three most significant powers that a Member of the U.S. Senate can have. In effect, this power allows any Member of the U.S. Senate, in secret, to block a nomination or a piece of legislation from even being considered on the floor of this body. I have talked to citizens at home about this. They are stunned that any Member of the U.S. Senate would have the power to be able to block something. But what really galls them is the right to do it in secret without there being any accountability whatsoever. I am of the view that it is appropriate that Members of the U.S. Senate, in efforts to represent our constituents, have the power to make decisions that are going to affect dramatically the lives of millions of Americans. But I think that extraordinary power ought to be accompanied by real responsibility.”