[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Page 15815]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    SUPREME COURT NOMINATION PROCESS

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, regarding the statement of my distinguished 
friend, my counterpart, the Republican leader, 90 percent of what he 
said is right on target. It is absolutely true that we need a process. 
That is why Senators Hatch and Specter have been working on this for 
several weeks prior to the resignation of Sandra Day O'Connor. The 
process is moving along very well.
  I acknowledge that the meetings I have had with the President on this 
matter have been very productive. They have been good and are pointed 
in the right direction.
  However, on a couple of things I disagree with my distinguished 
friend, the senior Senator from Tennessee; that is, we need to be very 
careful and put these problems we have had behind us, dealing with the 
so-called nuclear option. It is easy to throw words around like 
``obstructionism,'' but the fact is the vast majority of the 
President's nominees were approved easily. I don't know the exact 
numbers, but I believe 210 out of 219 were approved, and a number of 
them withdrew. The battles over 5 turned out to be 5 out of 219. We do 
not need words like that. We need to look at this in a positive sense.
  There are times, as has been indicated in the recent debate that 
occurred in the Senate, where certain nominees have to be viewed very 
cautiously and carefully. For example, the person the President has 
chosen to go to the United Nations has caused close scrutiny of this 
individual.
  The other two people the President sent to the United Nations as our 
Ambassador are people who the minority proudly voted for. Ambassador 
Negroponte went through here very quickly. And then, of course, Jack 
Danforth, the former Senator from Missouri, whipped through here and 
was our United Nations Ambassador. John Bolton is a different story. We 
had to take a look at him. That is not obstructionism. We asked for 
certain information. It was not forthcoming.
  So as I said, I agree with my friend from Tennessee that this is a 
process that needs to have the view of the American public, and they 
need to be proud of the work we do. I think we are headed in the right 
direction. I am cautiously optimistic we can move through this. I have 
given President Bush the benefit of every doubt that he is doing this 
with his heart in the right place. I have told him personally and in 
writing how much I appreciate his reaching out to me. And I continually 
will be optimistic until there is no need to do so.
  It would be so good for the country if they could see the Senate at 
its best, moving a nomination that is a consensus candidate; that is, 
someone Democrats and Republicans both support to this very high, 
honorable position, a member of the U.S. Supreme Court.
  I look forward to my continued consultation with the administration. 
I had a conversation yesterday with one of the President's 
representatives, his legal counsel. I am going to continue to do 
whatever I can to make this process move as quickly as possible, and 
not only as quickly as possible but as dignified as possible. And 
having done this, it would be a strong message for us to send to the 
people of America.
  Mr. President, 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. GREGG. 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.

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