Senate to Recess without Action on Estrada Nomination

CNSNews.com ^ | Feb.15, 2003 | Christine Hall

[conservativecorner]

recess(CNSNews.com) - Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist Friday announced that the Senate will recess for the President's Day holiday instead of forcing a vote on the judicial nomination of Miguel Estrada.

Speaking at a Capitol Hill news conference Friday, Frist said he will try to force a vote on the nomination of Estrada to the District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals after the recess is over and the Senate reconvenes.

The decision to recess the Senate without a vote contradicts what Frist said earlier this week. "We'll stay as late as they would like tonight and tomorrow night," Frist said Wednesday, according to the Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call. "My expectation is that by the end of this week, and before our recess, and possibly into our recess, we expect what all American people expect and deserve; an up-or-down vote on this outstanding candidate."

Democrats have said they will filibuster the vote on Estrada who, in their view, is reticent about his views and under-qualified. Democrats have said they have the votes necessary to block cloture, which normally ends debate in the Senate and leads to a floor vote on any given issue.

Frist said if "judges are going to be filibustered, not based on qualifications, but...partisan politics, it sets a bad precedent for this Congress and future Congresses.

"I'm willing to be patient to give the Democrats the opportunity to make their case before the American people," said Frist. But, he warned, "I'm willing to stay on this Estrada nomination as long as it takes" to get the full Senate to vote on it.

Sen. George Allen (R-Va.), chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, expressed frustration with court vacancies, many of which have been prolonged by partisan wrangling.

"This is like Groundhog Day every day around here, with everyone getting up and saying the same thing," said Allen, referring to the 1993 movie in which characters repeatedly wake up to the same day. The Senate has been at loggerheads over the nomination since it was brought up eight days ago.

"There are 12 judges allocated to this court (the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals); a third of them are unfilled," said Allen. "What you have is justice delayed, which means justice is denied."

But Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) insisted that it's answers, not more debate, that's needed.

"We don't need more time to debate Mr. Estrada's nomination," said Daschle on Feb. 13. "We need answers from Mr. Estrada. Without those answers, debate is hollow because we lack the basic information we need to make an informed judgment about Mr. Estrada's fitness."

Estrada has not offered specific answers to questions about ideology, saying that doing so could place him in the position of "prejudging" any issue that may come before him in court and would run counter to his "view of the judicial function."

[PISANO]

I just knew they (GOP) were going to fold. Par for the course! They dissappoint without fail!

[TLBSHOW]

Who is paying for the people Presdient Bush has already put in by recess apointment?

[marajade]

How did they fold? The senate cannot meet if 51 senators are not present...

[marajade]

Recess appointments work for one year... Its taken them 15 months so far to deal with his appointment... what would it accomplish?

[TLBSHOW]

Presdient - President

[marajade]

they couldn't... you know this and yet still you persist... I just can't understand why you cannot comprehend this...

[FITZ]

From your link:

"Neas also noted that Estrada’s confirmation is opposed by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund, Planned Parenthood and the NAACP."

The democrats have a few of their own race cards to play so I think the GOP's plan could backfire.

[TLBSHOW]

What good is coming from all the spots now not filled?

I don't really want recess appoinments and only said it as a way to really slam the rats but good and I said appointments for every single one not filled now even if it means 100's of them.

This is what I really wanted, only it meant making the democrats stay in session 24/7 not this week off BS....

,,,,,,,


The demorats won't want it to appear they are shutting down the Senate, so the GOP must hammer it home that that is what they are doing. The call should be look what the democrats are all about......shutting down the govt and nothing more, no ideas no nothing just rats!

Do not allow them to move on to any other agenda. Shut the govt down like the rats want and the American people will see just who stands in the way of this country. Democrats that is who.


43 posted on 02/11/2003 6:04 PM EST by TLBSHOW

[marajade]

How could the Dems playing the race card hurt the Reps?

[Randjuke]

Marajade - I'm jumping in here with a question. I read the other thread and I guess I follow the reasoning, but aren't there two or three Dems supporting Estrada as well? Why does the loss of two GOPs for medical reasons mean Frist has to reverse his previous statement? I'm not trying to create arguments, just wanting to understand.

[marajade]

"What good is coming from all the spots now not filled?"

When cases keep getting backlogged because of a lack of judges, people will start complaining more loudly... and the blame will fall upon the Dems.

[marajade]

You're assuming that Breaux, Miller, and Nelson would intend to stay in town... there is no consequence if they do not...

[FITZ]

Because if they whip up Blacks and Mexicans against Estrada it could hurt his nomination I would think.

[marajade]

There will always be a hatred of blacks against hispanics and visa versa...

But what is good is Bush can convert more hispanics to the Republican party because many are getting fed up with the Dems always favoring one race over the other... and they know that the Republican party does not...

[TLBSHOW]

oldie but goodie!

Republicans, led by outgoing Majority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss., have floated the possibility that they might insist on the ability to force floor votes on nominees if Democrat opposition keeps them stuck in committee hearings. But staff for Daschle said that this would not be acceptable because the GOP lacked the necessary leverage in votes and because Democrats have, thus far, allowed nominees to get floor votes, even in the face of substantial opposition to the nominee.

"That idea has yet to be brought to us," said one staffer. "I could see it if we had been blocking nominees, but we haven't. If we'd wanted to filibuster [Solicitor General Ted] Olson's nominee, we had the votes and didn't. That should indicate that we're committed to full and fair deliberation."

http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2001/5/31/164805.shtml

[marajade]

Anything Newsmax is not credible in my opinion...

[FITZ]

But what is good is Bush can convert more hispanics to the Republican party because many are getting fed up with the Dems always favoring one race over the other... and they know that the Republican party does not...

If it works out fine ---but I think it could backfire. Reagan had the majority of the "hispanic" vote ---what happened to it? Bush is struggling to improve on about 30% of it. Clinton played race politics and got about 80% of the hispanic vote.

[TLBSHOW]

It was Frist that said he would keep them in session through out the weekend and the next week and that was this past week, I didn't say it.

If he wasn't going to go through with it why did he say it? And now its him that looks like a flipper by then turning around and allowing everyone to go home!

[FITZ]

I'm also glad that Clarence Thomas is on the Supreme Court, I hope Estrada gets there eventually too but at the same time, Clarence Thomas being on the Supreme Court did not help Bush or Dole with the "minority" vote.

[TLBSHOW]

Whatever!