PCUC | Pregnancy Resources and Information for Southwestern PA
Senate Blitzing Nominees
SENATE MAJORITY LEADER HARRY REID (D-NV) CHANGED THE SENATE RULES– mid-session, by simple majority vote – to overturn the long-standing requirement of a 60% vote in order to bring debate on nominees to an end for an immediate vote. The term for this is the Senate’s “cloture” rule, and it is the means by which the Senate’s minority party has traditionally prevented the majority from running roughshod through such critical matters as confirming judicial nominees for life-time appointments.
Senators Carl Levin (MI), Joe Manchin (WV) and Mark Pryor (AR) broke ranks with their party to uphold Senate tradition and procedure and to uphold the Majority Leader’s own commitments not to take such action.
Immediately following the rule change, the Senate reconsidered and confirmed the previously blocked nomination of Patricia Millett to the DC Circuit Court of Appeals, no doubt paving the way for reconsideration and confirmation of abortion radical Cornelia Pillard to the same pivotal panel. The Pillard confirmation may already have seen a vote by the time our readers receive this Life Advocacy Briefing but after our writing deadline. Should the Pillard vote occur, we will publish the voting record in our next edition.
We hope also to reprint at least a section of the outstanding speech given on the Senate floor by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) after the rule was changed; because of the procedure employed to secure the change, debate was not in order before the vote, but various Senators spent much of Thursday afternoon making speeches reflecting on the momentous action, which will change the character of the Senate from this day forward.
These unconscionable actions were taken despite repeated commitments by Sen. Reid not to undertake such action, particularly with respect to judicial nominees.
Here are examples of that commitment from just mid-July of this year, quoting Sen. Reid: “We’re not talking about changing the filibuster rules that relate to nominations for judges.” (Press briefing on July 11, 2013.) And: “We’re not touching judges. That’s what they were talking about. This is not judges.” (Meet the Press, NBC-TV, July 14, 2013.)
And this statement made by Sen. Reid to the Senate – and the public – from page S-325 of the Congressional Record for Jan. 27, 2011: “I will oppose any effort in this Congress or the next to change the Senate’s rules other than through the regular order.” His action Thursday violated that pledge, which was renewed in a Jan. 24, 2013, colloquy (Congressional Record page S-272-3), quoting Sen. Reid: “Resolutions related to Senate procedure would be subject to a regular order process.” No wonder he appeared uncharacteristically excited when putting his ungentlemanly motions.