Patrick Leahy: “as we begin the 2d session of the 106th Congress, we should think about the challenge we face with respect to our…”

“as we begin the 2d session of the 106th Congress, we should think about the challenge we face with respect to our constitutional responsibility to work with the President to provide the many Federal judges who are desperately needed around the country. Today I thank our Democratic leader, but I also particularly thank the majority leader, both longtime friends. They moved forward Senate consideration of two of the seven judicial nominations that were favorably reported to the Senate by the Judiciary Committee last year. I know that had the distinguished majority leader not taken the earlier parliamentary action he did today, this would not have happened. I thank him for doing that. I note the heavy vote on both these nominees. One had a vote of 96 votes. The other had a vote of 95 votes. Perhaps more relevant, there were only two votes against them. I would love to win elections by those kinds of margins in my home State of Vermont. The point is that these distinguished jurists have been held up for some time. Yet when they finally come to a vote, we find an overwhelming majority of Republicans and Democrats are for them. I hope that we might proceed to prompt action on the remaining five judicial nominations on the Senate calendar, as well.”