Forget the debt drama. The real showdown in Washington is over President Obama's alleged push to stack the bench on a key D.C. court -- which Republicans say could be used to "rubber stamp" his agenda long after he leaves office.
At issue is the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, just down the street from its better-known Supreme Court cousin. The court is considered the second-most powerful in the land -- right behind the Supreme Court -- because it has final say on most federal regulations. Since regulations are drafted and issued in D.C., they end up before the court once they're challenged.
“The D.C. circuit is the only thing standing between America and the regulatory behemoth the president is trying to set in motion,” Carrie Severino, chief counsel and policy director at the Judicial Crisis Network, told FoxNews.com. She pointed to looming rules pertaining to everything from ObamaCare to environmental regulation. If they're challenged years down the road, the president will want his allies on the D.C. bench.
Of the 11 seats on the D.C. Court of Appeals, three are now open.
In June, Obama set the stage for a fierce partisan fight when he announced the nominations of attorney Patricia Ann Millett, law professor Cornelia “Nina” Pillard and D.C. District Court Judge Robert Wilkins to the bench.
Via: Fox News Politics
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