Arlen Specter: “I seek recognition today to address the subject of Senators' independence and dissent. As members of political parties…”

“I seek recognition today to address the subject of Senators' independence and dissent. As members of political parties, we owe loyalty to the party that helped get us elected and which enables us to join together to achieve broad policy objectives. Historically, we have found our system of Government functions best with a two-party system. But as part of that historical perspective, we have simultaneously seen loyalty to our Nation take precedence to loyalty to party. At certain junctures of American history, the fate of our system of Government has rested on the ability of Members of this body to transcend party loyalty for the national interest. I believe the Senate currently faces such a challenge between party line voting on filibusters and potential voting on the constitutional, or so-called nuclear option. I have watched the issue on confirmation of Federal judges fester and become exacerbated as each party has racheted up the ante beginning with the last 2 years of President Reagan's administration when Democrats took control of the Senate and continuing to the present day. In 1987, upon gaining control of the Senate and the Judiciary Committee, on which I have served since being elected in 1980, the Democrats denied hearings to seven of President Reagan's circuit court nominees and denied floor votes to two additional circuit court nominees.…”