No More Mr. Nice Guy: Obama Squeezes Senate GOP On Filibuster

SAHIL KAPUR MAY 28, 2013, 1:00 PM 1999
The White House intends to send three new nominees to the Senate to fill judicial vacancies on the powerful D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, a Democratic source familiar with President Obama’s plans confirmed to TPM on Tuesday.

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the nominations could come this week or in the next few weeks. The source declined to address speculation about who the President might select, cautioning that those decisions have not been made yet. The White House’s aim appears to be to pick relatively non-controversial nominees so Republicans would look bad if they tried to block the confirmations.

The news of pending nominations was first reported Monday by the New York Times.

The move, along with three pending cabinet nominees also opposed by Senate Republicans, carries far-reaching implications for the President’s agenda and is likely to fuel a high-profile battle between leaders of the two parties over filibuster rules.

The upcoming nominations will capitalize on the Senate’s unanimous vote to confirm Sri Srinivasan last week, the first nominee confirmed to the D.C. Circuit court since 2006.

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