Political Quotes

“I am glad the Senate has done the right thing. Maybe we should say in this Lenten season that Judge Paez has now moved out of purgatory into the reward he justly deserves. The Senate has done the right thing today but did the wrong thing for 4 years in holding this good jurist hostage. Marsha Berzon, another nominee who I predict will be a stellar judge, was held far too long. I thank my colleagues who voted to right this injustice and voted for both of them. I thank those who worked hard to bring this on to the floor for a vote. Also, just a footnote, the Senate did the right thing in its second vote in rejecting the cockamamy idea of having a motion to suspend indefinitely a judicial nominee following a cloture vote. That may sound like inside baseball, but that would have been a terrible precedent. I applaud the distinguished Democratic leader for speaking out so strongly against that motion, and I compliment the chairman of our Senate Judiciary Committee, Senator Hatch, for sticking with these nominees, both of whom passed our committee. We have done the right thing. We have righted a wrong of 4 years. I think now the Senate should go on, set aside partisanship, and let us look at those nominees who are still pending. I yield the floor.”