Orrin Hatch: “I support the nominee. I have known him for a long time. We differ on many issues, but he is a qualified person, and he…”

“I support the nominee. I have known him for a long time. We differ on many issues, but he is a qualified person, and he is a good man. He has the necessary professional qualifications to do this job. I personally believe we ought to support the President and his choice of Cabinet officials if there are no other disqualifying factors, such as ethics or criminal activity or something serious. I have a friendship with the nominee. In fulfilling my responsibility in the confirmation process, I try to apply the right standard to the whole record about a nominee. The right standard comes from the Constitution, which gives the appointment power to the President, not to the Senate. Elections have consequences, and Presidents must be given significant latitude when choosing members of their own Cabinet. Differences on issues or whether I would have nominated the individual are not alone enough to overcome that latitude. I have always argued for this standard no matter which party controlled either the Senate or the executive branch. The Senate checks the President's appointment power, but it may not highjack it. I realize that my friends on the other side of the aisle have at times applied a different standard, a much more partisan standard, when a Republican was in the White House. They got in the habit of putting partisan politics before the process principles the Constitution requires. I am not going to do that.”