In a largely partisan vote, the United States Senate approved changes to its rules concerning future approvals of judicial and executive nominations from the White House. Until today, the Senate rules required approval of such candidates for high office of at least two thirds of the legislative body. The change would now allow nominations to proceed with just a simple majority vote, even while the rules change would still allow the minority in the Senate to use filibusters to block Supreme Court nominees.
Suprisingly, three Democrats: Sen. Carl Levin of Michigan, Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, and Sen. Mark Pryor of Arkansas cast their ballots against the change.
Following the vote, the Democrats quickly confirmed Patricia Millett to the DC Circuit Court of Appeals. The vote was 55-43, with two senators voting present.
Several hearings were either cancelled or went into recess before the vote on the rules change. Over the last month, three nominees to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals have been blocked by Republicans, despite President Barack Obama’s appeal. On November 19, the Republicans blocked a vote on the nomination of Robert L. Wilkins to the bench. In his case, Wilkins, who served as a Washington D.C. District Court judge, was confirmed by the Senate on a voice vote in 2010.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said of the vote that it was “not a proud day in the history of the Senate.” The Republican stalwart, flanked by Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN), said that “In order to distract attention from Obamacare, the Senate has just broken the rules to change the rules. We’ve had this threat for some time now...” He added that Senate Democrats had not kept to their promises to refrain from such rule changes during this legislative term.
