ConfirmThem

By AndrewHyman Posted in Senate Rules — Comments () / Email this page » / Leave a comment »

The Albany Democrat-Herald has a recommendation for Oregon Senator Gordon Smith:

If our own Senator Smith is looking for a recommendation, here it is: Go back to requiring actual talking for filibusters, at least on judges, or vote to change the rules so that judicial nominations are not subject to the filibuster at all.

It would be easy to require real filibusters for nominations. No change in the existing Rule 22 would be needed. All the Senate would have to do is have an additional rule saying that, when there is a quorum call, a hefty percentage (e.g. 75%) of Senators who voted against cloture must be present, or else the filibuster is permanently terminated. Thus, there would be unlimited filibusters of nominations, but the filibusterers would have to actually be on the floor of the Senate instead of home asleep.