Political Quotes

“Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Michigan for yielding and for his leadership on this Special Order hour. Madam Speaker, 5 weeks ago President Obama fulfilled his constitutional responsibility and nominated Judge Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court. Judge Garland is eminently qualified for this position. In 1997, he was confirmed to the United States Court of Appeals in the District of Columbia with a majority of both parties supporting his nomination. He oversaw the prosecution of Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols for the Oklahoma City bombing. Before Judge Garland's nomination to the Supreme Court, Republican Senator Orrin Hatch said he would be a consensus nominee and that there was no question he would be confirmed in the Senate. Now, one month after President Obama nominated Judge Garland to the Supreme Court, Senate Republicans are refusing to hold hearings on his nomination or give him an up-or-down vote. President Ronald Reagan said: The Federal judiciary is too important to be made a political football. But that is exactly what Senate Republicans are doing. They are denying the American people a fully functioning Supreme Court and choosing to turn the Federal judiciary into a political football. The Supreme Court was designated by the Founders of our country to make major decisions of law and to protect the rights of all Americans, but the Supreme Court can't function as it was designed without a full slate of nine Justices.…”