Senate Proceeding on Apr 20th, 2009 :: 3:11:55 to 3:18:45
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3:11:55 to 3:12:15( Edit History Discussion )

Arlen Specter: quorum call: mr. specter: madam the presiding officer: the senator from pennsylvania. mr. specter: madam president, i ask consent that further call be the presiding offi objection. mr. specter: i have sought recognition to comment on the three nominees whose

3:11:55 to 3:18:45( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Arlen Specter

3:12:16 to 3:12:38( Edit History Discussion )

Arlen Specter: scheduled a little later this afternoon. all three of these nominees were voted out of the judiciary committee on a voice vote. all three have outstanding cree deptions for the positions for which they have been nominated. ms. advice stein varney is the

3:12:39 to 3:13:00( Edit History Discussion )

Arlen Specter: nominee for assistant attorney general in the antitrust division. she has an outstanding academic laude at syracuse, a law degree from georgetown university law center. she served as a commissner on

3:13:01 to 3:13:21( Edit History Discussion )

Arlen Specter: the federal trade commission from 1994-1997 and has been a partner in the firm of hogan and hartson for the i believe her tenure on the federal trade commission her a little -- a good

3:13:22 to 3:13:43( Edit History Discussion )

Arlen Specter: background beyond being an antitrust lawyer in private practice for this job. we discussed quite a number of legal issues in a private meeting i had with her. i consider the antitrust position to be of unique importance.

3:13:44 to 3:14:04( Edit History Discussion )

Arlen Specter: they're all important in the department of justice, but i believe that she will bring vigor to the job which i think is most appropriate. the nominee for assistant atrney general in the criminal division is

3:14:05 to 3:14:29( Edit History Discussion )

Arlen Specter: also has fine academic brac ground, a bachelor's columbia and law degree from columbia in 1985. was aarlan, fiske, stowe stole already a. i am impressed are his resume generally but especially the fact that he was an assistant

3:14:30 to 3:14:51( Edit History Discussion )

Arlen Specter: attorney in the manhattan d.a. office until 199899. i am especially partial to people who have been assistant district attorneys. the atto comment about mr. breuer. i emphasized the importance of seeking jail sentences in

3:14:52 to 3:15:12( Edit History Discussion )

Arlen Specter: appropriate cases. too often the criminal prosecutions result in fines, which turn the case to be really a license to do business. and white-colla especially is an area where there can be effective deterrence, and his commitment

3:15:13 to 3:15:33( Edit History Discussion )

Arlen Specter: to me on that subject was reassuring. the nominee for assistant attorney general in the civil division is derrick anthony west, who alsoas a fine academic harvard bachelor's degree, was a

3:15:34 to 3:15:55( Edit History Discussion )

Arlen Specter: publisher of "the harvard political might be aore important document than "the "harvard law review"" -- might be. a law degree from stanford in 1992. president of the stanford law review, so he covered them both.

3:15:56 to 3:16:17( Edit History Discussion )

Arlen Specter: again an outstan professionally and of particular interest is -- to me is having been an assistant u.s. attorney, northern district of california, for five years from 1999. and he was an adjunct faculty member of the lincoln law school in san

3:16:18 to 3:16:38( Edit History Discussion )

Arlen Specter: significant and has been a partner in morris and foster for the last eight years. i ask consent, madam president, that their "congressional record" my brief statement. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. specter: this is a time, i think, appropriate to point out

3:16:39 to 3:16:59( Edit History Discussion )

Arlen Specter: a few factors on the confirmation process. first is that senators are being afforded less time to review the records of almost all of president obama's nominees than they were for president bush's nominees. the judiciary committee has held hearings for eight of the 11

3:17:00 to 3:17:21( Edit History Discussion )

Arlen Specter: department of justice nominees, faster than it held hearings for president bush's first nominees to the same positions. the committee has held on an average of 22 days earlier with these eight nominees. the senate is confirming almost all of president obama's department of justice faster than it confirmed

3:17:22 to 3:17:44( Edit History Discussion )

Arlen Specter: president bush's first to the same positions. assuming that the three nominees scheduled for the positions confirmed, of the taboo took more time to confirm than president bush's first nominee to the same position.

3:17:45 to 3:18:05( Edit History Discussion )

Arlen Specter: attorney gener confirmed 63 days after his nomination, and john ashcroft was confirmed 42 days after his nominees. -- after his nomination. lanny breuer will be confirmed 56 days after his

3:18:06 to 3:18:29( Edit History Discussion )

Arlen Specter: michael che the been confirmed this year have been confirmed, on average, 44 days faster than president bush's nominees to the same positions. so i offer these statistical points to counter the contention

3:18:30 to 3:18:45( Edit History Discussion )

Arlen Specter: that there is a here. the fac it. acknowledging that a little more time was taken with a couple of the nominees, it was for good cause. but as a generalization, the