Yes, indeed. The Republicans are trying to maintain a stranglehold on our federal court system — and particularly the DC Circuit Court of Appeals. The DC Circuit Court is an important “feeder” to the Supreme Court.
The Republican majority on this court has been able to advance aspects of the GOP’s anti-regulatory agenda that the party has failed to accomplish legislatively. Last year, for instance, the DC Circuit struck down a set of environmental rules 20 years in the making that would have held states responsible for pollution that leaked across their borders. The DC Circuit’s conservative majority would shrink considerably should Obama succeed in getting all of his nominees confirmed. That’s why Republicans have been blocking Obama from filling those three slots. (Overall, Obama’s judicial nominees have waited an average of 277 days before getting a confirmation vote, compared with 175 during the George W. Bush administration.)
Along with trying to filibuster Obama’s nominees, the GOP has come up with a clever scheme to shrink the number of judges on the appeals court to deny Obama vacancies to fill. …Stephanie Mencimer,MoJo
Cross-posted from Prairie Weather
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