WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Sam Brownback today made the following statement:

"Today Harriet Miers withdrew her name from consideration for the position of Associate Justice of the Supreme Court.

"This was a difficult and courageous move for Ms. Miers and the president to make, but I think it was the right move. I appreciate the difficulty of this decision and I have a great deal of respect for their willingness to do so.

"The White House and the Senate faced an impasse on the release of documents. My colleagues and I in the Senate needed information about what Ms. Miers worked on at the White House. Understandably, the White House did not want to compromise executive privilege by providing this information.

"Looking ahead, it's time we have a discussion with America about which way the Supreme Court goes. I am hopeful the president puts forward a well-qualified, conservative jurist with a clear legal philosophy, just like he talked about during the campaign."

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