Today, by a margin of 70 - 29, the Senate broke the filibuster on the nomination of David Hamilton to the Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit. Ten Republicans, led by Indiana Senator Richard Lugar, voted to proceed. The others were: Alexander (TN), Chambliss (GA), Collins (ME), Cornyn (TX), Gregg (NH), Hatch (UT), Murkowski (AK), Snowe (ME) and Thune (SD).
Senator Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III led the GOP filibuster. Just a couple years ago, Sessions was vehemently opposed to filibustering judicial nominations. Marge Baker from People for the American Way provides some context -- and has some advice for Senate Democrats:
“It was just a few short years ago that Republicans like Senator Jeff Sessions denounced judicial filibusters in the strongest possible language and pursued the ‘nuclear option.’ Sessions even said judicial filibusters violate the Constitution. But some time after November 4, 2008, his interpretation of the Constitution must have changed dramatically.Yeah, get moving on the judicial appointments. And, all GOP filibusters should fail, not just the judicial ones.
“Now Sessions and many of his colleagues are vehemently pro-filibuster. They didn’t just flip-flop a bit. They went from one extreme to the other, and are seeking to obstruct the President by blocking votes on crucial nominees. Senate Democrats must see to it that this effort fails.
“Sessions claimed that Judge Hamilton an experienced judge and consensus pick met the ‘extraordinary circumstances’ standard of the Gang of 14. But in doing so, he rendered the term meaningless and revealed the willingness of most Senate Republicans to filibuster virtually any nominee put forward by the President. In response, Senate Democrats should isolate the obstructionists and push forward with the agenda, and nominations, that they and President Obama were elected to achieve.”
