Patrick Leahy: “I do have evidence of exactly that. If the Senator would let me finish my speech, he would understand that. The current…”

“I do have evidence of exactly that. If the Senator would let me finish my speech, he would understand that. The current White House has disclosed to the Senate legal memorandum writing by an attorney of President George H.W. Bush's White House Counsel's Office in connection with the nomination of Jeffrey Holmstead to be Assistant Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and, interestingly enough, this was a position of far less duration and importance than a lifetime judicial appointment. In Mr. Estrada's case, the White House will not provide any of the information sought. That bothers me. I wonder what is in there. They seem to be saying: We have looked at it; trust us, it is OK. Well, I remember the made-up Russian proverb that President Reagan speech writers came up with: Trust, but verify. Even though there was no such proverb, I thought it was a great saying, so I will use the same one. The administration's claim that such a request is unprecedented, as the distinguished Senator from Utah suggested, is actually wrong within the administration's own knowledge, even their own history. It is also wrong with respect to prior administrations and the confirmation history of the Judiciary Committee. What is happening is the White House seems willing to rewrite history for this case. I suspect if that is to be allowed, then the next difficult confirmation that comes up, the history will be rewritten again and the Senate will be stonewalled again.”