Nuclear Option?
Do you know what it means if Bill Frist get his "Nuclear Option?"
In case you don't, let me explain:
The President appoints federal judges and Supreme Court Justices- for life. Once you're a judge you're a judge.
BUT, the President's pick has to be confirmed by the Senate.
Right now, the Senate is dominated by the Republican Party, so pretty much anyone who the President nominates would be confirmed.
To counteract this, the Democrats use the filibuster to prevent a few- 4%- of the judges the President nominated from coming to a vote.
A filibuster is in action when a member of the Senate keep talking and talking and talking and talking in order to prevent a vote from taking place- in this case, a vote on those 4% of Bush nominees.
Well, this has some of the Republicans- namely Bill Frist- pretty upset. Notice I say some, because not all of the Republicans roll the same on this issue (some are working hard with Democrats to find a solution, a compromise).
So Bill Frist announced the "nuclear option," in which he will ask to end debate on the grounds that it is holding everything up and call for a vote to end debate. Dick Cheney, as President of the Senate (the Vice-President of the United States serves as the President of the Senate), will grant the request. The Republicans, using their majority, will vote to end debate, thus effectively extinguishing the filibuster.
No filibuster, no obstacle to the remaining 4% of Bush's nominees coming to a vote before the Senate in which Republicans hold 55 of the 100 seats.
NOTE: I'm not an expert on Senate rules, so I may be slightly off with my explanation- but just click the links for more info
In case you don't, let me explain:
The President appoints federal judges and Supreme Court Justices- for life. Once you're a judge you're a judge.
BUT, the President's pick has to be confirmed by the Senate.
Right now, the Senate is dominated by the Republican Party, so pretty much anyone who the President nominates would be confirmed.
To counteract this, the Democrats use the filibuster to prevent a few- 4%- of the judges the President nominated from coming to a vote.
A filibuster is in action when a member of the Senate keep talking and talking and talking and talking in order to prevent a vote from taking place- in this case, a vote on those 4% of Bush nominees.
Well, this has some of the Republicans- namely Bill Frist- pretty upset. Notice I say some, because not all of the Republicans roll the same on this issue (some are working hard with Democrats to find a solution, a compromise).
So Bill Frist announced the "nuclear option," in which he will ask to end debate on the grounds that it is holding everything up and call for a vote to end debate. Dick Cheney, as President of the Senate (the Vice-President of the United States serves as the President of the Senate), will grant the request. The Republicans, using their majority, will vote to end debate, thus effectively extinguishing the filibuster.
No filibuster, no obstacle to the remaining 4% of Bush's nominees coming to a vote before the Senate in which Republicans hold 55 of the 100 seats.
NOTE: I'm not an expert on Senate rules, so I may be slightly off with my explanation- but just click the links for more info
posted by Talib at 9:12 PM
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