Thomas Daschle: “I am very pleased that Susan Mollway's nomination has finally reached the Senate floor. As others have noted, it is a…”

“I am very pleased that Susan Mollway's nomination has finally reached the Senate floor. As others have noted, it is a long, long time in coming. I am told that it has taken 2 rac{1}{2} years. But today she is finally going to get a vote, and I am confident that she will be confirmed. I think it is quite an impressive story. Susan Mollway, first nominated for the U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii in December of 1995, was reported favorably by the Senate Judiciary Committee on April 25 of 1996. Nothing happened, of course, with that nomination, and she was renominated again on January 7 of 1997 and again reported out favorably by the Judiciary Committee. She must be the most patient woman in the world. For all this time, with all this uncertainty, with all of the implications professionally, it has been a long wait, not only for her, but for Hawaii. The seat which Ms. Mollway has been nominated to has been vacant now for 3 years, since April of 1995. Were it not for the extraordinary persistence of our colleagues from Hawaii, the senior Senator, Daniel Inouye, and the junior Senator, Daniel Akaka, we would not be here this afternoon.”