Political Quotes

“I ask unanimous consent that the time run until 5:30 p.m. on the nominees, which would be approximately 50 minutes, but that time be divided in the usual form. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. Mr. President, last week, 5 months into the year, the Senate finally was allowed to finish clearing the backlog of 19 judicial nominees who were needlessly stalled since last year by Senate Republicans. Today the Senate is being allowed to consider two of the 19 judicial nominees now awaiting final Senate action. George Levi Russell is nominated to fill a judicial emergency vacancy in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland and John Tharp to fill a judicial emergency vacancy in the Northern District of Illinois. These nominees have the support of their home State Senators and were reported 3 months ago with the bipartisan majority of the Judiciary Committee. I hope the fact that the majority leader was able to obtain consent to move these nominations signals that the Senate is being allowed to return to regular order, and that the majority leader will be able to schedule a vote without further delay on the nomination of Paul Watford of California to fill a judicial emergency vacancy on the Ninth Circuit. His nomination was reported before those being considered today and has been skipped in the order. He is a fine nominee with outstanding qualifications and bipartisan support.…”