The Washington Times reports that Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist is spearheading the introduction of proposed rule changes in an effort to break the deadlock over judicial nominations:
Currently, 60 votes are required to break a filibuster, which is also called invoking cloture. The resolution, co-sponsored by several senators, will require 60 votes only in the first attempt at invoking cloture. In each attempt after that, the vote requirement will drop by three until it reaches a simple majority of 51 votes.
This will not have any effect on the current blockade of Michigan judges, imposed for many months by Sens. Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow. But one rule change begets another, and, as we predicted here earlier, the "blue slip" courtesy will probably not last.
7:36:47 AM 
|
