Orrin Hatch: “Filibusters are not the only means the Democrats are using to obstruct. During the 3 years of the Bush administration…”

“Filibusters are not the only means the Democrats are using to obstruct. During the 3 years of the Bush administration, the Senate has taken 108 rollcall votes on judicial nominees at Democrats' insistence. Eighty-seven percent of these votes have been unanimous, 87 percent, calling into question why we needed these rollcall votes at all. Contrast that to 8 years of the Clinton administration during which the Senate took only 46 rollcall votes out of 377 judges, only 39 percent of which were unanimous. Couldn't we have been passing appropriations bills or creating jobs instead of wasting the time on unanimous votes? ... In this body that is delay, obstruction, complete shutdown of the body while we have these votes everybody knows will be unanimous. It is just another illustration of how far they have gone to obstruct on these judges. Finally, who is wasting time? Unanimous rollcall votes on judges, compare Clinton; we didn't require rollcall votes on unanimously to-be-approved judges. Look what they have done to the Bush administration. This President is being treated very unfairly.”