On the recordMay 11, 2016
let me add to what the distinguished Senator from Pennsylvania has said by noting first that the impasse to which he refers is created by his own leadership, which refused to bring up judges that have come out of the Judiciary Committee unanimously. There is a problem here. It is one that can be solved within the Republican caucus. We can't very much help with that, but we hope that a solution comes. The second point is that the question here should not be viewed only as to whether the President is being treated fairly but that there are vacancies on Federal courts, and it is our responsibility to provide advice and consent. We have a duty of fairness to the constituents who have empty seats in courtrooms, and we have a duty of fairness to the candidates--the nominees--who have put their lives on hold with the expectation that they would be treated fairly by the Senate. That is our job--to treat nominees fairly and to see to our constituents' needs. It is not just a question of numbers and who is President. I yield the floor. I appreciate the persistence of both colleagues from Pennsylvania, and I am sure we will continue to do this until we make some headway. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from North Carolina.
