With several of President Bush's judicial nominees now in their second year of waiting for filibustering Senate Democrats to allow their confirmation to proceed, Republicans are invoking dramatic measures to speed the process.
Majority Leader Bill Frist, a Tennessee Republican, will invoke a safety-valve clause in the Senate rules that allow Senators to reduce the size of the majority required to invoke cloture. The process currently requires 60 votes, but under the special rules, the required number would drop by three each time it is stymied, until, if necessary, it reaches a simple majority of 51.
Bush praised the measure in a White House press statement. “The obstructionist tactics of a small group of senators are setting a pattern that threatens judicial independence,” Bush said on May 9, due to “bitterness and partisanship that have taken over the judicial confirmations process.” With the new rules, he added, “I believe a fresh start is possible.”
Click here for Bush's remarks.
For previous coverage of the filibustering, click here.
See also:
BUSH RENOMINATES 31 JUDGES FOR SENATE APPROVAL
(This update courtesy of LifeSite News.)
