Patrick Leahy: “In this case, it appears to me that the White House really wants to play politics. They could end this debate today if…”

“In this case, it appears to me that the White House really wants to play politics. They could end this debate today if they wanted to. They can make these papers available so that Miguel Estrada can be asked questions based on them. Miguel Estrada has said under oath that he is perfectly willing to answer the questions, but the White House told him he is not allowed to. Once they are willing to, let us have a hearing and then let us go forward on questions based on what is in there. The administration, however, seems to believe that somehow the Senate is their own unit to be used for whatever type of politicking they want. They renominated Judge Charles Pickering despite his ethical lapses. They renominated Justice Priscilla Owen despite her record as a conservative activist judge and after being rejected by the Judiciary Committee. Both of these nominees were rejected by the Senate Judiciary Committee after fair hearings and open debate last year. Sending these renominations to the Senate is unprecedented. No judicial nominee who has been voted down in Committee has ever been renominated to the same position by the President. The White House in tandem with the new Republican majority in the Senate is choosing these battles over nominations purposefully. Dividing rather than uniting has become their modus operandi.”