John Cornyn: “I will spend a few minutes correcting the record in response to a question of press availability on Tuesday about…”

“I will spend a few minutes correcting the record in response to a question of press availability on Tuesday about whether Democrats were opposing as a caucus all of the renominated judges that previously were denied an opportunity for an up-or-down vote when a bipartisan majority stood ready to confirm them last year. The Senate minority leader said, ``Renomination is not the key. I think the question is, those judges that have already been turned down in the Senate''--in other words, he said these judges, even though they commanded the support of a bipartisan majority of the Senate during the last 2 years and were not permitted to have an up-or-down vote, he characterized those judges who have now been renominated by the President as judges who have, in fact, been turned down by the Senate. So my question is, to whom is the distinguished Democratic leader referring? None of President Bush's nominees have been turned down by the none, zero. The nominees he referred to were denied a vote altogether. In fact, all of these nominees would have been confirmed last Congress had majorities been allowed to govern as they have during the entire history of this country and the entire history of the Senate--save and except for the time when Democrats chose to deny a majority the opportunity for an up-or-down vote.”