Political Quotes

“Over the 8 years of the Bush administration, from 2001 to 2009, we reduced judicial vacancies from 110 to a low of 34. The vacancy rate--which we reduced from 10 percent to 6 percent by this date in President Bush's third year, and ultimately to less than 4 percent in 2008--is back above 10 percent. Federal judicial vacancies now stand at 93. Time and time again over the last 2\1/2\ years, I have urged the Senate to come together and work to address this crisis. At the beginning of this year, I called for a return to regular order in the consideration of nominations. We have seen that approach work on the Judiciary Committee. I have thanked the Judiciary Committee's ranking member, Senator Grassley, many times for his cooperation with me to make sure that the committee continues to make progress in the consideration of nominations. His approach has been the right approach. Regrettably, it has not been matched on the floor, where the refusal by Republican leadership to come to regular time agreements to consider nominations has put our progress--our positive action--at risk. I expect the committee in the weeks ahead to continue to make progress and favorably report superbly qualified, consensus judicial nominations to fill vacancies in States throughout the country, in States with Democratic and Republican Senators. Most of these nominations will, I expect, join the 15 on the calendar after tonight's vote that were reported unanimously.…”