Orrin Hatch: “They were nominated--both of them--three times by two different Presidents. From the time they were first nominated to…”

“They were nominated--both of them--three times by two different Presidents. From the time they were first nominated to today, it has been 12 years. I will make that more clear. With regard to the 54 holdovers when the Democrats controlled the committee and we had a Republican President, we didn't have the screaming and mouthing off about that from our side. Compare that to when President Clinton left office and there were 67 vacancies, 30 fewer during my chairmanship and 41 left holding versus the 54. By the way, of the 41, 9 were put up so late that nobody could have gotten them through no matter who the Judiciary chairman was. There were really 32. If you take away those who had absolutely no consultation with home State Senators--I mean none--then that reduces it some more. If you take away those who had further investigatory problems, that reduced it some more. There were some--I have been honest to admit this--whom I wish I could have gotten through who I think deserved to go through. But there were many in the 54 who were left by the Democrats who should have gotten through, too. The point I am making is that it isn't the same because the Judiciary Committee chairman can't get some of the holdovers through. I don't blame Senator Biden. I don't think I should be blamed. I did the best I could. It isn't the same as when somebody is brought to the floor and a filibuster occurs.”