Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I congratulate Justice Thompson on what should be her confirmation by the Senate today as a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. President Obama has made another outstanding judicial nomination. The Senators from Rhode Island have worked tirelessly to bring this matter to conclusion with a Senate vote since her nomination was reported by the Senate Judiciary Committee 2 months ago. It has been 2 weeks since the Senate has acted on any of the 18 judicial nominations approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee that are being stalled by Republican obstruction on the Senate Executive Calendar. It has been almost 4 months since I began publicly urging the Senate Republican leadership to abandon its strategy of obstruction and delay of the President's judicial nominees. Regrettably, their practices continue. Even though Justice Thompson is a well-respected judge who has more than two decades of experience on her State's courts, and whose nomination was reported by the Senate Judiciary Committee without a single dissenting vote, her nomination has been stuck on the Senate Executive Calendar for nearly 2 months. Justice Thompson's nomination is not the only one being stalled despite having been reported without opposition by the Senate Judiciary Committee. There are a dozen such nominations ready for consideration and confirmation that have been stalled without reason or explanation.…”