Posted on 06/24/2003 9:16:53 AM PDT by NYC Republican
WASHINGTON — A Senate committee with all its Democratic members absent voted to limit filibusters (search) of President Bush's judicial nominees (search) Tuesday, a move Republicans hope will usher future federal judges through the Senate faster, even if Democrats want to stop them.
Democrats oppose changing Senate filibuster rules for judicial nominees, but Republicans have a one-vote majority on the Senate Rules Committee (search) and expected to win Tuesday's committee vote in any case. Democrats are expected to fight the measure on the Senate floor.
The Rules Committee officially voted 10-0 for the measure, which would reduce the number of senators needed to force a vote on a judicial nominee with each successive vote until only a 51-member majority is needed.
Minority Leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota had another commitment he had to attend to, and Democrats did not organize a boycott of the vote, spokeswoman Ranit Schmelzer said.
Senate Rules Committee Chairman Trent Lott, R-Miss., noted that all 10 GOP members showed up for the morning vote.
"It's hard to get people to a meeting between 9:30 and 10," Lott said. "We got ours here. The others were going to come but didn't get here by the time we finished our work."
All nine Senate Democrats -- Daschle, ranking Rules Committee Democrat Chris Dodd of Connecticut, Robert Byrd of West Virginia, Daniel Inouye of Hawaii, Dianne Feinstein of California, Charles Schumer of New York, John Breaux of Louisiana, Mark Dayton of Minnesota and Richard Durbin of Illinois -- missed the meeting.
"There's no mystery in what will happen with today's vote," said Schumer in a written statement. "But when it comes to the floor, I hope and believe that at least a few of my friends from across the aisle will see the light."
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Did the Dems just refuse to come, or did the Repubs call a "secret" meeting.
If its the first and Dems just refused to participate, I think that is the big news. I think each and everytime the are using obstruction we need to publise it loud and clear.
It almost seems that they are taking the Texas Dems obstruction tactics without having the same outcome.
AGAIN THE BIG NEWS IS THE DEMS OBSTRUCTION, NOT THE VOTE ITSELF.
How about 9:30 a.m. tomorrow? (;-)
I'll believe it when I see it. Some filthy liberal will line one or two of their pockets and we'll probably lose....AGAIN! I've lost nearly all of my faith.
ummmm .. what is so hard about showing up for work on time?
I wonder what the Dems excuse on this one will be?
Then I might believe the repubs can finally act like the majority they are. Too much kowtowing to the whiney Dems. Show some backbone. Vote on it today!
See #27.
The DemocRATs did this exact same thing, back in 1975 when they voted to change the rules on the number of votes needed to invoke cloture (shut down a filibuster). The rules change passed by a majority vote.
Ever since then the number of votes required for cloture has been 3.5ths (60) rather than the previous 2/3rds (66). Senators voting for the rules change in 1975 included Leahy, Kennedy, Byrd, Biden and Inouye.
All that it takes now if for Frist to have the guts to bring it to the floor and for the Republicans to stand together. And they probably have Zell's vote as well since he introduced the rules change.
There may be a few Republicans unwilling to vote for it now but that number probably diminishes each time another nominee is filibustered.
I agree the democrats still control it's passage as long as they keep 34 votes in line if all 100 Senators are present and voting......
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