If assurances were given of how any nominee ? whether this nominee or anybody else ? and somebody gives assurances how they're going to vote in an upcoming case, I would vote against that person,

It is critical . . . that we not prejudge a nominee,

It gives Republicans the chance to define our nominee before our nominee has a chance to define himself, ... Usually, you get a fully fleshed-out profile of who the nominee is, and voters know who you are. This year, because of this calendar, voters are going to be learning about the Democratic nominee, after the primary is over. And so the [Democratic] message suffers.

It's like somebody gives you a jigsaw puzzle, but it's thousands of years old and you're not given all of the pieces,

The American people have every reason to expect Congress to achieve the right balance in defending their rights while advancing their security, but the Republican-backed conference report fails to do that.

Our goal is to mend it or extend it, not end it.