Sheldon Whitehouse

We do know that warmer oceans create stronger storms because of the extra heat that is thrown up into the atmosphere off the warmer oceans.

I think we are going to miss the most important signal.

My experience of voter fraud is that it is a problem that is so de minimis as to be virtually imaginary.

I urge you to respond promptly and thoroughly to those questions, because your nomination does not go forward until the questions are answered.

I look forward to continuing, if I am fortunate enough to be confirmed for this seat, to presiding over jury trials for the remainder of my career.

American citizens take their role as jurors or grand jurors very seriously.

It includes an obligation to decide cases scrupulously based on the law and the facts without prejudgment of any case.

Do not worry if there is not a great deal of attendance here. That is usually actually a good sign.

I salute you for being willing to put yourself through the wringer of the nomination and confirmation process.

Today is a somewhat unusual day in that it is the 12th anniversary of the attacks on our country on September 11th...

It is clearly inconvenient to certain powerful interests who think they have got the executive branch of government under control...

I urge you to keep that good feeling about juries in mind as, I hope, you proceed to this next judicial office.

I detect a strain in certain current judicial philosophies of trying to deny, minimize, inhibit, cripple the jury system.

Alexis de Tocqueville wrote that the jury is, before everything, a political institution.

One is to respect the role of Congress as the duly elected representatives of the American people.

I hope that each judicial nominee who we hear from today understands the importance of those principles.

We gather in a serious way for these hearings because voting to confirm an individual to the federal bench is one of the most important and lasting decisions that a Senator can make.

The manner in which we will proceed now is for myself and the distinguished Ranking Member Senator Grassley to make opening statements.

Thank you both very much for being here. I know you have pressing business, and you are excused.

A jury is not just there to be a fact-finding appendage to a court.

I actually can say that and feel that I am being honest in saying so given that the lowest number of appeals per active judge is actually the Eighth Circuit, the lowest number of appeals per authorized judge is the Tenth Circuit.

It is part of how we, the people, govern ourselves.

I think we often forget that in this popular government, one of the ways in which people have the most direct voice is sitting in the jury box and making the official decisions that will be made in conflicts that are brought before them.

I am a big fan of the jury.

That is somewhat remarkable, isn't it?