[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 114 (Monday, July 9, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4831-S4832]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                   Filling the Upcoming Court Vacancy

  Mr. President, meanwhile, after the President's announcement this 
evening, the Senate will fulfill its constitutional role by providing 
advice and consent on whomever President Trump nominates. We plan to 
consider the nominee and his or her record thoroughly. That is our 
responsibility.
  As the senior Democratic Senator from Connecticut said recently, 
``the Senate should do nothing to artificially delay'' the 
consideration of the next Justice. I agree. It is also consistent with 
the standards set by former President Obama and Vice President Biden. 
In 2010, which was a midterm election, just like this year, Senate 
Democrats confirmed President Obama's nominee, Elena Kagan, to the 
Supreme Court.
  After President Trump makes his selection, Senators will have the 
opportunity to meet with the nominee, examine his or her 
qualifications, debate them, and then vote. We will vote this fall to 
confirm Justice Kennedy's successor. I know Chairman Grassley will 
manage a fair confirmation process in the Judiciary Committee. He 
always has.
  It is crucial that as this process begins to unfold, the President's 
nominee not be subjected to personal attacks from an increasingly 
agitated and vitriolic Democratic Party. My frustration is that we used 
to debate an individual nominee's qualifications, but, as with the 
Gorsuch nomination, we have seen that anybody whom President Trump 
would nominate would be uniformly opposed by our friends across the 
aisle.
  Based on what we have seen so far, we know that the confirmation 
process

[[Page S4832]]

will certainly be contentious. We hope that people will remind 
themselves of the benefits of civility and decorum. We have seen some 
of our friends across the aisle talk about the battle lines that are 
being drawn, and we have heard other hyperbolic language. They have 
indicated their unwavering opposition to President Trump's nominee no 
matter who he or she is and before they even know who he or she is. 
That is extremely disappointing.
  Our colleagues' pledge to stop the nominee at all costs is not 
encouraging, to say the least. Yet I assure you we will not back down 
from the fight, and we will see President Trump's nominee confirmed on 
a timely basis, consistent with the confirmations of previous nominees. 
The stakes are too important, and the character of the eventual 
nominee, we expect, will be too high to allow these sorts of things to 
happen without our pushing back. The American people deserve better.
  During the first 18 months of this administration, President Trump 
has nominated and we have confirmed 42 members of the Federal 
judiciary, including Justice Gorsuch. We look forward to another 
outstanding selection, and we will move efficiently and thoroughly 
throughout the confirmation process. Like I said, we will vote to 
confirm the President's nominee this fall.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.