McConnell blocks vote on Stranch nomination, Reid does nothing for 8 months

Senator Leahy: (2:56 PM)

Propounded a UC that at a time to be determined by the Majority Leader, and upon consultation with the Minority Leader, the Senate proceed to Executive Session to consider the nomination Jane Stranch to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Sixth Circuit; that the nomination be debated for up to three hours, equally divided and controlled between Senators Leahy and Sessions, or their designees; that upon the use or yielding back of the time, the Senate proceed to vote on confirmation of the nomination (McConnell objected).


Senator Alexander: (2:59 PM)
Responded.

SUMMARY "Jane Stranch is a well-qualified nominee. It's long been my position, without going into the history of this body, that a president's nominees deserve an up-or-down vote. She is the longest pending circuit court nominee yet to be confirmed. She was nominated last August. The committee reported her in November...I know it is difficult with the amount of matters that we have on the Senate floor to schedule anything, including a circuit judge, but it would be my hope that the Republican leader and the majority leader could before long set a time certain for an up-or-down vote on Jane Stranch, the president's nominee for the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. And I would thank the senator from Vermont for his request. I will not object."


Senator McConnell: (3:01 PM)
Responded.

SUMMARY "Reserving the right to object, I know my good friend from Tennessee is interested in this nomination. There were, however, some 'no' votes on the nominee in committee, and we'll be running on our side to see if we can work out a debate time and see if we can take this nominee up in the not-too-distant future. But for the short term, at least, I must object."

http://republican.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=FloorUpdates.Home

“Jane Stranch is a clearly qualified nominee, and has the support of both Republican senators from her home state of Tennessee and a bipartisan majority of the Judiciary Committee. She has now waited eight months for a simple up-and-down vote from the Senate. There is no good reason for this delay—it is instead the result of the Republican minority’s persistent, counter-productive obstructionism.

“I applaud Sen. Leahy for attempting to move this nomination so that Jane Stranch can start working for the people of Tennessee and the Senate can get back to work for the people of the United States. I urge the Republican leadership to find the time to do its job and let the Senate vote on this, and other needlessly stalled nominations.”

http://www.pfaw.org/press-releases/2010/07/gop-refuses-to-vote-jane-stranch-nomination-after-eight-months-of-stalling