Republicans Still Find Ways To Stall Judicial Nominees Despite Filibuster Reform

[Tx4obama]

Republicans Still Find Ways To Stall Judicial Nominees Despite Filibuster Reform

WASHINGTON -- Senate Democrats made it a lot easier for President Barack Obama to get his judicial nominees confirmed when they nixed the filibuster against most nominees last fall -- a move that came in response to Republicans using the filibuster to block many of Obama's picks for political reasons.

But so far, removing that procedural hurdle hasn't changed much in the Senate, where there hasn't been a single vote on a district court nominee since December.

In fact, the only judicial nominee confirmed so far in 2014 has been Robert Wilkins, now a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit whom Republicans blocked for months and who only got through after filibuster reform. That leaves 32 judicial nominees who are ready and waiting for a confirmation vote, but going nowhere.

So what's the problem? Republicans are refusing to give consent to let nominees get their votes. In a less partisan environment, both parties typically would give "unanimous consent" to let a batch of nominees receive votes, with little fanfare. But with Republicans still simmering over the Senate rules change, they're using other tactics to prevent nominations from advancing.

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FULL article here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/08/republicans-judicial-nominees_n_4748528.html

[kairos12]

1. This leads the list of egregious behavior by Rethugs.