Stakeout Following Senate Policy Luncheons

SEN. JOHN CORNYN (R-TX): Well, I agree with Senator Hutchison and Senator Hatch about the qualifications of this outstanding nominee, Priscilla Owen. And as Senator Hutchison mentioned, I did in my previous lifetime work for three years alongside of Priscilla Owen and found her to be a a great legal scholar, exceedingly diligent, and really one of the outstanding judges that our state has had to offer.

You know, if you listen to the people who try to demonize and vilify President Bush's nominees, you almost wouldn't recognize the real human being as you know them. And I can hardly recognize Priscilla Owen from the description that I've seen in the press by some of the special interest groups that oppose her nomination, because it's simply not true. Everyone who knows Priscilla Owen, who has taken the care to examine her record, knows that she is a mainstream, highly qualified nominee by this president.

As Senator Hutchision mentioned, I am one of 10 new members of the United States Senate elected on November the 5th.

I think all of us, particularly those of us who are newer members, would like to find a way—I think many more would like to try to find a way out of the situation that we find ourselves in, where there are recriminations across the aisle, finger-pointing because of the sins committed in the past against, perhaps, a Democratic president's nominees, perceived or real.

And as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on the Constitution, I wanted to let you know that I will convene hearings on the 6th next week to talk about the judicial confirmation process in a calm, deliberative, reasonable manner to try to see if we can build a consensus for adoption of some sort of guidelines or rules, perhaps, that would allow us to get out of this morass that, frankly, I don't think anybody really likes but that we seem, at least to this point, incapable of finding our way out of. So I look forward to a—really, an opportunity to talk about those issues, to call witnesses on a bipartisan basis to talk about recommendations for the future, and hopefully, to work together with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to try to find a solution to this terribly bad problem.