Arlen Specter: “The situation is desperate at the present time, as the Senate has reverted to a longstanding policy in the last 2 years…”

“The situation is desperate at the present time, as the Senate has reverted to a longstanding policy in the last 2 years where the White House is controlled by one party and the Senate by another. The nominees of President Bush are being inappropriately blocked. During the course of the last 2 years of the Clinton administration, there were 15 circuit judges confirmed, 57 district judges, contrasted with only 7 circuit judges confirmed during the last 2 years of the Bush administration, and 38 district judges. For the entire 8 years, President Clinton has 65 circuit confirmations contrasted with only 58 for President Bush. President Clinton had 305 district confirmations contrasted with only 241. Regrettably, this has been the pattern for the past 20 years--in the last 2 years of President Reagan's administration, when the Senate was controlled by Democrats; in the last 2 years of President Bush the first; and in the 6 years Republicans controlled the Senate during President Clinton's administration. The issue has been raised by Democrats about the inappropriate blocking by Republicans of the Clinton administration. I have agreed with them. I voted to confirm the Clinton judges who were qualified. The action taken was not appropriate, and I disagreed with my caucus. But now my caucus is right.”