Focus on Judicial Nominees

This has been an important week on Capitol Hill regarding the issue of judicial nominees and efforts to bring an end to the filibusters that are prohibiting President Bush's well qualified nominees from getting an up-or-down vote on the Senate floor.

First, President Bush highlighted this issue in his State of the Union address.  Consider exactly what the President said:

"Because courts must always deliver impartial justice, judges have a duty to faithfully interpret the law, not legislate from the bench. As President, I have a constitutional responsibility to nominate men and women who understand the role of courts in our democracy, and are well-qualified to serve on the bench -- and I have done so. The Constitution also gives the Senate a responsibility: Every judicial nominee deserves an up or down vote."

This is an important issue for the President and the nation.  The ACLJ continues to meet with members of the Senate on this cricial issue.  As you may know, the ACLJ produced detailed memos outlining the issues and the alternatives available to the Senate for a rules change to eliminate the use of the judicial filibuster.

Drew Ryun, who is our Director of Goverment Affairs, reports that he expects this issue to gain more attention in the days ahead.  In fact, Drew says discussions underway on the Hill center around the action to be taken by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist in regards to the filibuster situation.

As Drew put it, "the talk is not if Frist decides to break the judicial filibuster, but when he is going to do it."   We will keep you posted on developments as the occur.