Patrick Leahy: “Last week marked the 214th anniversary of the adoption of the Bill of Rights to the Constitution. Over the last week…”

“Last week marked the 214th anniversary of the adoption of the Bill of Rights to the Constitution. Over the last week, this Nation and this Senate have been engaged in a debate about the importance of protecting and preserving those rights as we consider how best to revise and reauthorize the PATRIOT Act. We have also learned about the White House's domestic surveillance program that short-circuited the judicial safeguards established by Congress. Today we engage in an action unique to the Senate. We consider for confirmation to lifetime appointments to the judiciary a number of nominees. This is an instance in which all three branches of the government are involved. The President nominates, the Senate considers the nominations and, if confirmed, the nominee is appointed to become a member of the judiciary. The judiciary has a particularly important role in the protection of the rights and liberties of all Americans. It was Justice O'Connor who, writing for the Supreme Court, noted that even wartime does not give the President a ``blank check'' when it comes to actions that impact Americans' rights. Every day in courtrooms across the country federal judges are the last line of defense for Americans' rights. If anyone doubts the importance of the position of Federal district court judges, they need look no further than the district court judges assigned to sit on Federal Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA Court.…”