Pete Sessions

What has evolved in America is that we believe we are a society of victims, everybody is a victim? If somebody is wrong in my life, if I have a bad outcome in my life, it must be somebody else's fault. So beyond the obvious abuse of the…

I regret that we are dealing with this particular bill today because it does not address any real problem. This is a bill that corrects a problem that does not exist. These lawsuits that people are complaining about with regard to obesity…

I know Senator Nickles talked about the economy and who is responsible. We can all debate how much the President actually has influence over it. I don't know. But when President Roosevelt took office, there was a high unemployment rate. I…

If the dealer handed a customer a gun that was loaded, perhaps that dealer could be held liable. I think probably they should. The dealer should have checked before they handed it to them. But I don't think you want a circumstance where…

Two questions there. One is the existing lawsuit question. The Senator makes a legitimate point and expresses a legitimate concern. Frankly, I am not sure it is fully meritorious, but he certainly raises a legitimate concern. The second…

The Senator's position is this--if someone polluted your water so you can't drink it, and did so to the required degree of negligence and liability, they are responsible for it and should pay. The question is, What if you didn't do…

The person who caused the action, made the house uninhabitable, that is who should pay; not the person who made the substance.

I didn't say the home. I understand the water smells. Is the Senator aware of any report that says MTBE is a cancer-causing substance?

With regard to that matter, Attorney General Pryor did file a brief on behalf of Judge Moore and argued that the Ten Commandments were legitimate because there are three depictions of the Ten Commandments in the Supreme Court. And right on…

It is absolutely following the law. There are a host of other examples to a degree I have never seen before in America. Bill Pryor always does what he believes the law compels him to do. Many times it is something he does not personally…

I ask another question: They show a chart that says 168 to 4. Is that the 4 they were filibustering last week or is that the 4 who have been held hostage? What 4 are they talking about? There are well over 10 nominees who are being…

Isn't it true that the President has nominated some 200 judges and 160 or so have been--and the idea that the 98 percent of his nominations have been confirmed is certainly not accurate; is it?

Let me ask you with regard to Tom Daschle, the Democratic leader, and Senator Leahy, the ranking member on the Judiciary Committee, who argued so aggressively against filibusters just 2 or 3 years ago, has their position changed today? Are…

Addressing the distinguished chairman of the Judiciary Committee, who has served so ably for so many years on these matters, I would like to follow up on that question that was just asked. During your tenure as chairman of the Judiciary…

I agree, if a hold is a filibuster, then there are a lot more Bush nominees now being filibustered than have been suggested. I think there are four being held by Senator Levin.

That is certainly a distinct and obvious difference. Both of these nominees were moved forward by the action of Trent Lott, the Republican leader, to move a Clinton nominee for an up-or-down vote. He got the up-or-down vote. Both those…

Did the Senator know that although the Senator from Alabama strongly opposed Berzon and Paez and voted against both those nominees, that there were holds on those nominees, and the Republican leader, Trent Lott, moved for cloture to move…

I met with Sergeant Larry Gill who grew up in Mobile, AL, went to Murphy High School where my daughter went. I knew his father, Lieutenant James Gill, in the Mobile police department, a great officer. Larry Gill had a severe injury to his…

I wish to respond to some comments that were just made. The distinguished assistant Democratic leader asserts Mr. Pryor has been rejected before. He has not been rejected before. He has not been given an up-or-down vote. He has not been…

I thank Senator Bond for his leadership on veterans issues throughout this Congress, as he always does. I have been over to Walter Reed Army Hospital on three different occasions. Families tell me they are being treated extremely well. The…

I believe Bill Pryor is the most principled, committed lawyer I have known in this country. I know he would be a magnificent Federal judge, and we will make a big mistake if this body does not see fit to confirm him. He needs an up-or-down…

There was an already-passed partial birth abortion ban in Alabama. The Supreme Court ruled that big chunks of that were not constitutional and could not be enforced, and Attorney General Pryor, even though he strongly thinks that abortion…

The pro-life groups in Alabama that supported Mr. Pryor criticized him for that letter, and the ACLU thanked him for it.

Well, very similar. What he actually did, I say to the Senator from Tennessee, is that as attorney general he has the authority to superintend all of the State district attorneys who enforce the law.

That is correct. I think he could have not appealed to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court doesn't take a lot of these cases. He could have probably justified that and rationalized that, but if he believed that the existing Alabama…