ACU to Senate GOP: End Judicial Filibusters!

Nation's oldest conservative grassroots organization opposes minority Democrats' attempt to re-write Senate rules, tradition on judicial confirmations

WASHINGTON - The American Conservative Union, the nation's oldest grassroots conservative organization, today urged Republican senators to support Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist in his efforts to end the unprecedented filibustering of President Bush's judicial nominees.

"Intransigent Democrats have left the Republican majority with no option," ACU Chairman David Keene said at a press conference today. "Senator Frist must act to restore the historic practices of the Senate.

"For more than 200 years the filibuster never has been misused to block up-or-down Senate votes on the president's nominees to the federal courts. Today a minority of senators is now trying to change the rules and require 60 votes for confirmation. This is revolutionary and cannot be allowed to stand. Republicans have never used this tactic to block confirmation votes on nominees of Democratic presidents. They cannot now surrender to this partisan bullying.

"If some Democrats believe a nominee is unqualified to serve on the federal bench, then by all means those senators should vote against confirmation. But nominees deserve a vote. ACU urges all Republican senators to support Senator Frist in his effort to restore the Senate's historic advise and consent obligations under the Constitution.