Via the AP: Frist Won’t Budge on Filibuster Demands - Yahoo! News
With a showdown looming, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist refused to budge Thursday on his demand that Democrats forego filibusters against all of President Bush’s past or present nominees to federal appellate court benches or the Supreme Court.Frist offered to retain the right to filibuster district court nominees in exchange for 100 hours of debate and guaranteed confirmation votes on the nation’s highest judgeships.
The Senate’s top Republican also said that under his plan, senators would no longer be able to block nominees in the Judiciary Committee.
“Judicial nominees are being denied. Justice is being denied. The solution is simple, allow senators to do their jobs and vote,” Frist said in a speech on the Senate floor.
Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid said he would look at Frist’s offer, but wasn’t all that charitable in his description. “It’s a big wet kiss to the far right,” he said.
Pretty much the response is what I expected: no thanks.
This all strikes me as attempt to take the PR high ground before moving to engage the so-called “nuclear” option.
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April 28th, 2005 at 2:14 pm
Frist sets the stage
In what is probably a move to set the stage for a vote on ending the judicial filibuster, Senate Majority Leader Frist has laid out a compromise for the Dems to digest on the battle over judicial nominations. Essentially, the…
April 28th, 2005 at 3:14 pm
Alright, both sides have trotted out their compromise, (although I am not sure if Frist’s proposal is accurately called that) so no we get down to the nitty-gritty. If Frist has 50 votes, expect the nuclear option now, if he doesn’t expect more debate and discussion.
Right now, I say he doesn’t have the votes, because I don’t see prolonging this as having any particular benefit to the majority, and for some Senators (like Santorum) prolonging this debate will be very painful.
April 28th, 2005 at 4:42 pm
“I do not support the elimination of the privilege. I say privilege because that is what I believe the filibuster to be. A unique privilege–to be used sparingly and only in those instances when a Member believes the legislation involves the gravest concerns to his or her constituents.” Reid (D-NV) 5-Jan-1995
I love the part about gravest concerns. Am I really supposed to believe that half of Bush’s appellate nominees provoke that kind of fire and brimstone.
April 28th, 2005 at 4:50 pm
SoloD: the lack of movement has more to do with what’s on the Senate schedule. The past few days the Senate has been debating the “Highway Bill HR3″. Highway bills are always the porkiest of the pork bills, thereby trumphing everything else.
April 28th, 2005 at 4:51 pm
Frist Compromise: More Debate Time But No Filibuster
At least we know this: despite on-again-off-again announcements about whether Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid are still talking to try and head off the “nuclear option” that would ban filibusters on judicial no…
April 28th, 2005 at 4:51 pm
Frist Compromise: More Debate Time But No Filibuster
At least we know this: despite on-again-off-again announcements about whether Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid are still talking to try and head off the “nuclear option” that would ban filibusters on judicial no…