Political Quotes

“recently I spoke to the Senate on the occasion of the consideration of the nomination of Jane Branstetter Stranch of Tennessee to the Sixth Circuit. It was nearly 10 months after her nomination was favorably reported by the Senate Judiciary Committee that Senate Republicans finally consented to a time agreement and vote, despite the support of the senior Senator from Tennessee, a member of the Republican leadership. Nevertheless, I said then that if consideration of the Stranch nomination, after months of needless delay, represented a bipartisan willingness to return to the Senate's tradition of offering advice and consent without extensive delays, I welcomed it. I urged the Senate to consider the other 16 judicial nominations then on the Senate Executive Calendar favorably reported by the Judiciary Committee without further delay. Regrettably, since Judge Stranch was approved by a bipartisan majority on September 13, the Senate has not considered a single additional judicial nomination, although some were reported as long ago as January. Indeed, during the rest of this work period the list of judicial nominations stalled on the calendar has grown to 23, including 16 that were reported by the committee unanimously. Meanwhile judicial vacancies around the country continue to rise and now number 104. These include 48 vacancies that the Judicial Conference has designated as judicial emergencies.”