Good morning . . .
On a straight party line vote, the Senate Judiciary Committee will send the nomination of Priscilla Owen for a seat on the 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans to the full Senate.
The panel is expected to do the same for Janice Rogers Brown who was nominated to the US District Court of Appeals in Washington DC. Both Owen and Brown were blocked from an up or down vote by threats of a Democrat filibuster. President Bush renominated them along with 8 others after he won re-election in November. Democrats consider Owen and Brown too conservative for a lifetime appointment.
The committee's action will bring closer a confrontation over a change in Senate rules to block filibusters on judicial nominees.
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) is working hard to find the 51 votes necessary to change the rule. There are 55 Republicans in the Senate. 609 votes are needed to close a filibuster. If the rules are changed, Democrats have vowed to "slow down" Senate business on all other bills except legislation to support the military. If Demoicrats make good on their threat, it could shutdown the government later this year.
No date has been set for Senate debate on the nominations.
Senate Panel OKs Bush Judicial Nominee - Yahoo! News
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More later.
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