Political Quotes

“Mr. President, we are debating the President's nomination to succeed Justice John Paul Stevens, who has served this country admirably and with great distinction. I rise in wholehearted support of Solicitor General Elena Kagan's nomination to be our next Supreme Court Justice. She has had an illustrious legal career that includes clerking for Judge Abner Mikva on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit and Justice Thurgood Marshall on the U.S. Supreme Court; obtaining tenure at two of the top law schools in the country, the University of Chicago and Harvard; serving as an associate counsel in the Clinton administration; becoming Dean of Harvard Law School; and now serving as Solicitor General of the United States. Casting a vote on a nominee to the Supreme Court is one of the most consequential votes we face as Senators because no court can review the decisions of the Supreme Court. They are the ultimate arbiters of the law and the Constitution in this country. The Constitution includes the Senate as an active partner, along with the President, in this process of confirming Justices to the Supreme Court. As stated in article II, section 2, clause 2 of the Constitution, nominees to the Supreme Court shall only be confirmed ``by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate.'' This confirmation process and the Senate's role in it serves as a vital democratic check on America's judiciary, particularly in a case where a Supreme Court Justice will serve for a life term.…”