Senate Republicans Block 2 Obama Nominees

WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans on Thursday blocked the confirmation of two of President Obama’s nominees, one to a powerful appeals court and another to a housing lending oversight post, setting up a confrontation with Democrats that could escalate into a larger fight over limiting the filibuster and restricting how far the minority party can go to thwart a president’s agenda.

The Senate voted 55 to 38 to move forward with the nomination of Patricia Ann Millett to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, five votes short of the 60 required to break the Republican filibuster. Forty Republicans opposed the nomination, three voted “present” and two joined Democrats in supporting her. The vote to advance the nomination of Representative Melvin Watt, Democrat of North Carolina, to become the head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency was 56 to 42, four votes short. Forty-one Republicans opposed Mr. Watt, and two supported him.

Republican objections to Ms. Millet, however, had nothing to do with her judicial temperament or political leanings. Instead, Republicans say they want to refuse Mr. Obama any more appointments to the appeals court, which is widely recognized as second only to the Supreme Court in importance and often rules on the legality of executive branch actions.

“Our Democratic colleagues and the administration’s supporters have been actually pretty candid,” said Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader. “They’ve admitted they want to control the court so it will advance the president’s agenda.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/01/us/politics/senate-republicans-block-2-obama-nominees.html?pagewanted=print