Frustrated by the glacial speed the Senate has been moving to approve his cabinet nominees President Obama took an aggressive step by nominating 3 judges to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit at the same time, according to The New York Times.
The move is expected to draw fierce opposition from the Republicans in the Senate. While Obama's first nominee for the court was approved last week 97-0 Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., took to the floor to attack the Democrats, specifically Harry Reid, The New York Times reported.
"What I fear is the majority leader is working his way toward breaking his word to the Senate and to the American people, and blowing up this institution," McConnell said. "He wants to have no debate. Do what I say when I say. Sit down, shut up. Or we'll change the rules. We'll break the rules to change the rules."
The U.S. Court of Appeals is often thought to be the second most important court in the country behind the Supreme Court. The court currently has 4 Republican and 4 Democrat appointees to go with 6 "senior" judges, 5 of whom were appointed by a Republican president, according to The New York Times.
"The court is critically important - the majority has made decisions that have frustrated the president's agenda," Nan Aron told The New York Times. Aron is a liberal activist who has urged Obama to be more aggressive in nominating judges to the court. "Our view is that balance must be restored on that court, and the empty seats must be filled."
One way in which Republicans are attempting to counter Obama's nominees is by attempting to have the empty seats of the court moved out of D.C. and into other jurisdictions. If that strategy fails Republicans are expected to filibuster the nominees, according to The New York Times.
The three court vacancies have existed for so long because of efforts by Republican Senators to slow down the process. Past of the way they have done so is by failing to provide President Obama with a list of applicable judges to consider for the nominations, reports The Huffington Post.
