Patrick Leahy: “I note that when we confirm these three nominations today--and I fully anticipate we will; I will support them and I…”

“I note that when we confirm these three nominations today--and I fully anticipate we will; I will support them and I know Senator Specter will support them--the Senate will have confirmed 29 nominations for lifetime appointments by the middle of September this year. That is 7 more than were confirmed in all of 2005 when the Senate had a Republican majority which was considering nominations of this Republican President. I mention that because consistently, for the Republican President, President Bush, when the Democrats have been in charge, we have moved his nominations faster than Republicans have. You would not know this, certainly, with some of the rhetoric that comes out of the White House; but, you know, sometimes facts get in the way of rhetoric. It is a pesky thing. Incidentally, there were 12 more confirmations that were achieved during the entire 1996 session, when Republicans stalled consideration of President Clinton's nominations by pocket-vetoing them. It is actually a little-known fact that during the Bush Presidency, more circuit judges, more district judges, and more total judges have been confirmed in the time we have had Democrats in control and I have been chairman, than during the 10 years that either of the two Republican chairmen were working with Republican Senate majorities.”