Patrick Leahy: “I am glad we are on the Department of Justice authorization. As I said earlier, I appreciate the fact the distinguished…”

“I am glad we are on the Department of Justice authorization. As I said earlier, I appreciate the fact the distinguished majority leader moved to it. This is actually a very important bill. At a time when it seems so much good legislation is being stalled, it would be a shame if this was, too. I know since January of last year Senate Democrats have tried to bridge the gap and make bipartisan progress on campaign finance reform, corporate accountability, and a real Patients' Bill of Rights, and a number of bipartisan anticrime, antidrug, antiterrorism bills. We worked with the administration after September 11 on the USA Patriot Act; we passed that in record time. We created the September 11 victims' trust fund and we enhanced border security. We tried to work as supportive partners in the effort against terrorism. Throughout that effort in the Judiciary Committee, we rose above the bitterness and partisanship that had been exhibited by my predecessors during the last 6 years of the previous administration. We have held more hearings on more judicial nominees and held more committee votes on them and confirmed more judges in 15 months than the Republicans were willing to confirm in the last 30 months when they controlled the Senate.”