Political Quotes

“one great responsibility that distinguishes the U.S. Senate is our constitutional role of advice and consent. We have a solemn duty to consider nominees for positions of great importance to the Nation, some of which are lifetime appointments. Every day that the nomination of Loretta Lynch to be the next Attorney General awaits a floor vote is another day the Senate fails to function as it should. The Attorney General is our Nation's top law enforcement official. The position is critical to protecting our national security and our most cherished civil rights. It is a position of honor and one that deserves respect. And even though Senators have not always agreed with the President's choice, there used to be a mutual respect for the position and the process of filling it. That proud history is being debased here in the Senate today. The Republican majority has turned this vital position--and the highly respected nominee--into a bargaining chip to be leveraged for political gain. This is not how to treat a position of such importance to law enforcement and our national security. When I was chairman of the Judiciary Committee, I did not support the nomination of Michael Mukasey, the choice of President George W. Bush. But I did not obstruct the process or deny the Senate a vote. To the contrary, we treated the position and the nominee with the historic respect they both deserve.…”