Orrin Hatch: “I rise to join many of our colleagues to express my frustration with the leadership for failing to permit a floor vote…”

“I rise to join many of our colleagues to express my frustration with the leadership for failing to permit a floor vote on the nomination of Eugene Scalia to be the Solicitor General of the Labor Department. I was mystified as to what reasons there could possibly be to hold up the President's choice, his pick, for this vital position at a time when it is of national urgency for the Labor Department to have its team in place. I have heard it said in the press it is because Scalia is the son of Justice Antonin Scalia and that this is some sort of payback for the Bush v. Gore decision. I personally find that hard to believe. Such a motive would be far below the dignity of the Senate. The notion that this Chamber would in effect punish a Supreme Court Justice or his family for a decision, any decision, would be abhorrent to anyone who loves this institution or the Constitution.”