Posted on 05/13/2005 12:05:44 PM PDT by seamus
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
STATEMENT FROM THE OFFICE OF THE
SENATE MAJORITY LEADER
Upon completion of action on the pending highway bill, the Senate will begin debate on fair up or down votes on judicial nominations. As is the regular order, the Leader will move to act on judge nominations sent to the full Senate by the Judiciary Committee in the past several weeks. Priscilla Owen, to serve as a judge for the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, and Janice Rogers Brown, to serve as a judge for the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, will be the nominees of focus.
The Majority Leader will continue to discuss an appropriate resolution of the need for fair up or down votes with the Minority Leader. If they can not find a way for the Senate to decide on fair up or down votes on judicial nominations, the Majority Leader will seek a ruling from the Presiding Officer regarding the appropriate length of time for debate on such nominees. After the ruling, he will ensure that every Senator has the opportunity to decide whether to restore the 214-year practice of fair up or down votes on judicial nominees; or, to enshrine a new veto by filibuster that both denies all Senators the opportunity to advise and consent and fundamentally disturbs the separation of powers between the branches.
There will be a full and vigorous Senate floor debate that is too important for parliamentary tactics to speed it up or slow it down until all members who wish have had their say. All members are encouraged to ensure that rhetoric in this debate follows the rules, and best traditions, of the Senate.
It is time for 100 Senators to decide the issue of fair up or down votes for judicial nominees after over two years of unprecedented obstructionism. The Minority has made public threats that much of the Senate’s work will be shut down. Such threats are unfortunate.
The Majority Leader has proposed his Fairness Rule: up to 100 hours of debate, and then an up or down vote on circuit and Supreme Court nominations. Further, the Fairness Rule would eliminate the opportunity for blockade of such nominees at the Judiciary Committee. And finally, it will make no changes to the legislative filibuster.
If Senators believe a nominee is qualified, they should have the opportunity to vote for her. If they believe she is unqualified, they should have the opportunity to vote against her.
Members must decide if their legacy to the Senate is to eliminate the filibuster’s barrier to the Constitutional responsibility of all Senators to advise and consent with fair, up or down votes.
-30-
The words "commitment" and "probably" don't go well together....
If Frist released this on his official stationary then I would say it is going to happen. While no big fan of Frist I don't believe it is reasonable to distrust him. I mean it isn't like he is Hillary Clinton though apparently many around here believe him to be.
ENOUGH! We've been hearing this garbage since January. Vote already!
Yep, it was a finger tip that belongs to a co-worker of the woman's husband. He lost it in a work accident.
They are hinting at arresting the husband now because how else could she have gotten ahold of the finger tip.
IT WILL NOT HAPPEN. BET THE HOUSE ON IT
To those that are concerned with "What will happen if we are out of power ten or fifteen years from now? What then? Well the answer is, DON'T GET OUT OF POWER 10-15 YEARS FROM NOW! Provide a platform of traditional, rational american values, coupled with pro-business economics and it will not be a problem. The conservatives could be in power for the next 100 years if we keep our heads on straight. Any deviation is our fault.
This is finally IT. Great press release. Congratulations, Dr.Frist.
My hopes and prayers are with you (as will be my phone calls).
Balogna! The RINOs can;'t even get their UN Ambassador passed out of committee for a floor vote,
and now there telling me the RINOs are going into a full war with dems? What are the RINOs going to use for ammo, their pink panty hose?
Gimme a break. Notice how they all seem to be getting along when passing the highway bill and billions in pork. I'll bet the dems are getting way more in pork than the RINO, andd the chickenshit RINOs are smiling as the dems are taking all the dough.
No more of your balh, blah blah, Senator Frist (he couldn't pull it off if he wanted to because the dems will just put the RINOs back into their natural minority, limp wristed posture.
RINOs are not getting one more thin dime from this old timer.
It's not that i distrust him, just that we've heard similar things before...
Thank you Senator Frist. We will see if any Republican wants to destroy his or her political future by voting against you. I predict the ban on filibusters will be adopted, either that, or the RATS will cave on Brown and Owen.
Uh huh! We'll see, when/IF it happens!! I won't be holding my breath.
Why is the chili finger case mixed in here?
Yes !
Dr. Frist shall have my support.
It is a lock that there will be some sort of BS compromise made at the last minute.
(Heavy Sigh...) Whatever...
I wonder if it's going to be a boy or a girl????
I mean, after a 4 year and 6 month gestation period, and all this pushing and gruntin', it just may very well be time to figure out what to wear to the blessed event. That is, if the GOP survives the birth of it's first (deleted by the couth police).
Point well taken. I say "probably" because it all depends on when they finish voting on the highway bill. Sometimes that takes a day, sometimes it takes three days. Since the Senate meets for formal business just three days a week (Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday) the highway bill could push the nuclear option to Tuesday.
Regardless, it is happening. Frist's office just announced a "background briefing" for reporters in his office at 3:30 p.m. Check the wires at 4:30 or so to see the stories that come out with "sources close to Senator Frist" discussing the nuclear option.
My sense is that it is finally going to happen.
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