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In addition to filibustering a nominee for Secretary of Defense for the first time in history
Senate Republicans also blocked a sitting member of Congress from an Administration position for the first time since 1843. As a senior member of the House Financial Services Committee, Congressman Mel Watt’s understanding of the mistakes that led to the housing crisis made him uniquely qualified to serve as administrator of the Federal Housing Finance Agency. Senate Republicans simply don’t like the consumer protections Congressman Watt was nominated to develop and implement. So they denied a fellow member of Congress and a graduate of Yale Law School even the courtesy of an up-or-down vote.
In the last three weeks alone, Republicans have blocked up-or-down votes on three highly qualified nominees to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, considered by many to be the second highest court in the land.
Republicans have blocked four of President Obama’s five nominees to the D.C. Circuit, whereas Democrats approved four of President Bush’s six nominees to this important court. Today, 25 percent of the D.C. Circuit Court is vacant. There isn’t a single legitimate objection to the qualifications of any of these nominees. Yet Republicans refused to give them an up-or-down vote – a simple yes-or-no vote. Republicans simply don’t want President Obama to make any appointments at all to this vital court.
Further, only 23 district court nominees have been filibustered in the entire history of this country. Twenty of them were nominated by President Obama. With one out of every 10 federal judgeships vacant, millions of Americans who rely on courts that are overworked and understaffed are being denied the justice they rightly deserve. More than half the nation’s population lives in a part of the country that’s been declared a “judicial emergency.”
The Senate has been a joke for years. Ever since the Clinton years, the GOP has operated on the principle that only Republicans have the right to govern, and that if Democrats win an election, that result is inherently illegitimate and subject to resistance by all means necessary.
Comments here on this forum prove this every day. The shutdown was just another example of that belief. And no matter what historically obstructive -- even destructive -- strategy the GOP turns to, their mouth breathing fans simply rewrite history, ignore facts and shriek like children.
Wash, rinse, repeat.
Reid just put an end to that behavior in the Senate. There's no hope for the House.
So why was this soooo bad 8 years ago when they were a minority? You do realize there are tons of videos with Obama, Biden and Reid saying that this is a awful thing and how bad it would be for this country. Yet, it's ok now?
Speech by Harry Reid on Senate Floor - 2005
“The threat to change Senate rules is a raw abuse of power and will destroy the very checks and balances our founding fathers put in place to prevent absolute power by any one branch of government.”
This isn't a Democratic solution but Authoritarian!
Suck it up Republicans. Time to roll up the sleeves and get something done. Judges nominated by the president will now be seated after 5 long years of republican obstructionism.
So why was this soooo bad 8 years ago when they were a minority? You do realize there are tons of videos with Obama, Biden and Reid saying that this is a awful thing and how bad it would be for this country. Yet, it's ok now?
Speech by Harry Reid on Senate Floor - 2005
“The threat to change Senate rules is a raw abuse of power and will destroy the very checks and balances our founding fathers put in place to prevent absolute power by any one branch of government.”
This isn't a Democratic solution but Authoritarian!
Compare the amount of filibusters from now compared to 2005. Compare the amount of Judicial appointments that goe filibustered from now compared to 2005. Compare the amount of Judicial vacancies from now compared to 2005. There is your answer.......
Compare the amount of filibusters from now compared to 2005. Compare the amount of Judicial appointments that goe filibustered from now compared to 2005. Compare the amount of Judicial vacancies from now compared to 2005. There is your answer.......
How many judges did the repubs in the senate reject in 2013? From what I can see only two this entire year.
How many judges did the repubs in the senate reject in 2013? From what I can see only two this entire year.
Considering in the last few weeks there were three to the same court....
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