Update From Capitol Hill

May and June look to be big months in Washington as members of the House and Senate seek to get a leg up on the 2006 elections. And, as seems to be the case as of late, a lot of the action focuses on the Senate Judiciary Committee.

The issue of judicial nominations is front and center again.  According to Drew Ryun, ACLJ's Director of Government Affairs, there is a scheduled committee vote this week on Brett Kavanaugh, President Bush's nominee for the U.S. Court of Appeals for D.C. Circuit.  After being nominated almost two years ago, Kavanaugh is facing a party line vote in the Senate Judiciary Committee this Thursday and a threatened filibuster on the Senate floor, but appears likely to be confirmed before the Memorial Day recess.  Other nominees Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist hopes to bring to the Senate floor in May are Judge Terrence Boyle, nominee for the 4th Circuit as well as Judge Mike Wallace, nominee for the 5th Circuit.  Watch for the Democrats to threaten filibusters on all of them.

Other issues in focus in Washington are the Federal Marriage Amendment, which is scheduled for mark up in the Senate Judiciary Committee next week and slated for a floor vote either at the end of May or the first week of June.  Majority Leader Bill Frist has also been outspoken about wrapping up immigration reform.  But with the proposed Senate bill diametrically different from the House bill passed in December, the intensity of this debate is bound to escalate in the following weeks as Democrats and Republicans eye the November elections.

Another issue to watch for is the debate over the permanent repeal of the death tax.  While not a front page issue, but is creating a fair amount of debate behind the scenes in Washington, D.C.