Patrick Leahy: “I love reading Lewis Carroll. I remember Lewis Carroll and ``Alice in Wonderland.'' When I hear the descriptions of…”

“I love reading Lewis Carroll. I remember Lewis Carroll and ``Alice in Wonderland.'' When I hear the descriptions of history today and listen to some of the discussion in the Senate, it brings me back to when I was a child. I extend my appreciation to my colleagues on the other side for livening our more serious times with a little bit of fiction. They talk about how terrible it is we have some people--actually several of whom do not have blue slips--who have been here for several months and we have not had a hearing even though they know some of the blue slips are not in. We will be, as we go along, scheduling hearings, as compared to people who did have blue slips in when the Republicans were in charge. I think of Helene White. She waited 1,454 days. I do not recall a single Member of the Republican Party saying should she not at least have a hearing; even if we vote her down, should she not at least have a hearing. She did not even have a hearing or a vote in the committee; 1,454 days, not a word. We have seen the crocodile tears today. Even though we are moving much faster than the Republicans ever did when there was a Democratic President, we see these crocodile tears for people who have been waiting a month or 2 months or even 3 months.”