McConnell: Democrats Will Not Be Allowed to Shirk Their Commitments on Judicial Nominations
June 5, 2008
‘The Republican Conference will continue to make the point that judicial nominations need to be treated fairly, and that commitments in this body need to be kept’
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell delivered the following remarks on the Senate floor Thursday regarding the Democratic Majority’s refusal to honor commitments on judicial nominations:
“Yesterday’s tactic of slowing-down the Senate floor was not about trying to confirm a few district court nominations, as some on the other side tried to suggest. Rather, it was about the importance of keeping one’s word in this body—whether it be a commitment to meet the total number of circuit court confirmations that occurred in prior Congresses, or a commitment to confirm a specific number of circuit court nominations by a specific date and using one’s best efforts to do so.
“We are far behind the pace that is necessary for us to reach the goal that the Majority Leader and I set for this Congress. If that weren’t troubling enough, what we have heard recently by the Chairman of the Judiciary Committee are threats to shut down the confirmation process completely. Surely, that is not his plan.
“The Republican Conference will continue to make the point that judicial nominations need to be treated fairly, and that commitments in this body need to be kept, and we will use the tools available to the minority to do so until that proves to be the case. This is not over I assure you.”
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