Patrick Leahy: “We moved them through. And we got rid of the anonymous holds. We got rid of the secret holds. I will explain in greater…”

“We moved them through. And we got rid of the anonymous holds. We got rid of the secret holds. I will explain in greater detail. Mr. President, the Republican leadership in the Senate has chosen today for another in a series of cloture votes on this divisive nomination. Nothing has significantly changed since it forced the three previous cloture votes. The administration's obstinacy continues to impede progress to resolve this matter. The administration remains intent on packing the Federal circuit courts and on insisting that the Senate rubber stamp its nominees without fulfilling the Senate's constitutional advise and consent role in this most important process. The White House could have long ago helped solve the impasse on the Estrada nomination by honoring the Senate's role in the appointment process and providing the Senate with access to Mr. Estrada's legal work. Past administrations have provided such legal memoranda in connection with the nominations of Robert Bork, William Rehnquist, Brad Reynolds, Stephen Trott and Ben Civiletti, and even this administration did so with a nominee to the Environmental Protection Agency.”