Orrin Hatch: “Thank you, Mr. President. President Ronald Reagan used to say that people are policy. Attacking a new President's…”

“Thank you, Mr. President. President Ronald Reagan used to say that people are policy. Attacking a new President's policies, therefore, often includes undermining his or her ability to appoint men and women to lead his or her administration. The Constitution gives to the President the power to appoint executive branch officials. The Senate has the power of advice and consent as a check on that appointment power. In the early months of the Obama administration, Senate Democrats were clear about how we should carry out our role in the appointment process. Less than 2 weeks after President Obama took office, the Judiciary Committee chairman said he wished that the Senate could have put the new Justice Department leadership in place even more quickly. Just 3 months into President Obama's first term, the chairman argued that, ``at the beginning of a presidential term, it makes sense to have the President's nominees in place earlier, rather than engage in needless delay.'' Well, actions speak much louder than words. With a Republican in the White House, Senate Democrats have turned our role of advice and consent into the most aggressive obstruction campaign in history. This chart is an illustration. Democrats complained about obstruction when, during the first 6 months of the Obama administration, the Senate confirmed 69 percent of his nominations.…”