Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I rise today to express my support for the minority leader's decision to invoke the longstanding Senate tradition, known as the Leahy-Thurmond rule. Pursuant to this tradition and precedent, the Senate will cease confirming nominees to the Federal courts of appeals until after the Presidential election in November. Many of my colleagues from the other side of the aisle have previously affirmed the propriety of this rule and enforced its standard. For example, in the last year of the Bush administration, the majority leader noted that ``in a Presidential election year, it is always very tough for judges. That is the way it has been for a long time, and that is why we have the Thurmond rule.'' The chairman of the Judiciary Committee, who has cited the Thurmond rule more frequently than any other Senator, has likewise stated that ``in a Presidential election year, after Spring, no judges go through except by the consent of the Republican and Democratic leaders.'' Statements from several of my Democratic colleagues likewise confirm that it is proper to invoke the Leahy-Thurmond rule at this point in a Presidential election year. In 2008, for example, one of my colleagues on the Judiciary Committee argued that for Federal appeals court nominees, once ``it comes to June . . .…”