[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 14]
[Senate]
[Page 19606]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         CONFIRMATION OF JUDGES

  Mr. HATCH. Madam President, I would like to correct the distinguished 
minority whip on one thing. It is true we have had about 140 judges go 
through and only two so far have been filibustered. The third is on its 
way, maybe fourth, fifth, and sixth. Stopping, through a filibuster, 
anybody, even one judge, is unacceptable. It has never been done 
before, especially judges for the circuit court of appeals. But it has 
never been done even for district court judges and certainly not for 
Supreme Court judges.
  All we want is an up-or-down vote on these people. That is all we 
want. If they are defeated, we can live with it. If they pass, I hope 
the other side can live with that. But I don't think it is too much to 
ask for the President's nominees who are brought to the floor of the 
Senate to have an up-or-down vote. I don't think that is too much to 
ask, and I don't think the American people believe that is too much to 
ask. Even the filibuster of one nominee is unacceptable because that 
means you are not allowing the President to have an up-or-down vote if 
somebody is brought to the floor of the Senate.
  I am concerned that we will soon see the number of judges who are 
denied an up-or-down vote escalate from two to three to four to five to 
six, maybe more. Is that an acceptable number of judges who do not 
deserve an up-or-down vote? Of course not. Not one should be denied an 
up-or-down vote, once they are brought to the floor of the Senate. I 
believe that is true.

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