Senate Girds for Showdown On Changing Filibuster Rules ; Two Judicial Nominees Meet Bush, Republican Leaders As Vote Looms

The Record, Bergen County, NJ › May 18, 2005

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Summary

WASHINGTON - Senate Republicans on Tuesday picked Texas judge Priscilla Owen to be the flashpoint of a historic battle between President Bush and Senate Democrats over shaping the federal judiciary, with a final showdown looming early next week.

A small group of moderate senators worked furiously behind the scenes to head off a clash over whether the parliamentary tactic of the filibuster can be used to block judicial nominees. If majority Republicans opt to change the rules to disallow filibusters of judicial nominees - a move dubbed the "nuclear option" - parliamentary warfare between Democrats and Republicans could escalate and stall Bush's legislative agenda.

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Extract

Senate Girds for Showdown On Changing Filibuster Rules ; Two Judicial Nominees Meet Bush, Republican Leaders As Vote Looms

"Members on both sides don't want the explosion to occur," said Sen. Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., as Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, nodded at his side. "There will be a judicial nomination before...

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