ConfirmThem

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

NY Times reports today as follows.

Senator Arlen Specter, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said today that his panel would hold confirmation hearings next week for two of President Bush's nominees for federal judgeships, who had been blocked earlier by Senate Democrats.

Mr. Specter said the committee would hold a hearing on Tuesday for William G. Myers III, a nominee for the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and on Thursday for District Judge Terrence W. Boyle, a nominee for the Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.

There had been speculation that Brown, Pryor, or Haynes might be up first, but it now looks like Myers and Boyle will be the first out of committee. Myers was the seventh Bush nominee filibustered by the Democrats. He made it out of committee the first time around, and then the cloture vote was 53 to 44 (note Senator Biden voted for cloture). The previous hearing report on Myers is online as text and pdf. Boyle had previously been nominated, but (unlike Myers) never reached the Senate floor. Recent news stories about Myers are available here. Immediately after Senator Specter announced the upcoming Myers hearing (while emphasizing that Myers would provide balance on the Ninth Circuit), Senator Schumer signalled another filibuster, as Human Events describes. Further information about Myers is available from the Committee for Justice (pdf).