[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 20 (Thursday, February 1, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Page S1470]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          NOMINATIONS AND IRAQ

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I also wish to thank the majority 
leader for his remarks about circuit court judges. We all know the 
confirmation of circuit court judges became unnecessarily, it seems to 
me and I think seems to him, contentious at various times in recent 
years. I think we are off to a good start this year.
  Each of the last three Presidents ended his term with the U.S. Senate 
in the hands of the opposition party. Each of these last three 
Presidents received an average of 17 circuit court judicial 
confirmations during those last 2 years even though the Senate was in 
the hands of the opposition party.
  As Senator Reid has indicated, the President has not forwarded 
several nominations that were contentious in the last session, and I 
thank the majority leader for his indication that we will move forward 
with Randy Smith, who is the nominee for the Ninth Circuit, before the 
Lincoln recess. That is an indication of good faith on his part, which 
is greatly appreciated by me and others on our side.
  With regard to Iraq, as the majority leader indicated, we continue to 
be in discussions about how to craft that debate. We certainly agree 
the debate will occur next week, and we are trying to reach a consent 
agreement that would allow us to have several different options that 
would reflect the sentiment of most Members of the Senate about the 
current situation in Iraq and the decision to go forward and try to 
quiet the capital city of Baghdad. So those discussions will continue 
throughout the day.
  With that, Mr. President, I yield the floor.

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