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it's size and uh... deserves our attention and will be
could portend of
we could see the
the beginning of some type of filibuster reform in the coming months as a
function of this it's certainly part of the strategy
the united states court of appeals for the district of columbia circuit
is perhaps these second most powerful maybe not impress
is the second most powerful court in the country
short of the supreme court
it is where our
such things to have happened that
president obama's recess appointments to the national labor relations board were
found unconstitutional
because the senate was a really in recess
it is where
we have seen a bevy of
rulings that have curtailed the the power of the e_p_a_
do things like regulate air pollution across state lines
uh... it is
but it was where we've seen all sorts of corporate overruling
and on this court there've been three vacancies
now the way this court works
now a
as of last week
sri sri strips rearing bunsen
can you pronounce that former michael now so i'd rather work for
uh... was just successfully uh...
confirmed
to this court
snowmen apple for democratic implode twenty-second four republican appointees
it should be in eleven person corey
there are six a sort of a ameriprise
judges
who sit on that court
any occasionally filling
five of them were appointed by republicans
so today the news that president obama
will and now it's
three nominees
simultaneously to this court
three people who from what i have read
pawar good nominees
from a liberal perspective
supposedly they will be cornelia t l pillared
delivered frederick and patricia n mellette
pillared was an a_c_l_u_ lawyer
mend an n_ double a_c_p_ legal defense and education fund attorney
frederica served as the law clerk to byron white
worked in the justice department
tunis listeners general's office
millet
was also in the solicitor general's office for a decade
she now is in private practice uh...
in the appellate practice of the uh... washington law firm
all these nominees are going to hit d senate judiciary committee
simultaneously
this is essentially
an attempt either to fill these vacancies
or
to force a showdown
over the filibuster
it was last week
harry reid natives two weeks go harry reid
claimed that he was willing to revisit
filibuster reform struggles in sioux
and would do sell perhaps through the nuclear option
which
involves uh... parliamentary tactic
trekkie in many respects
uh... that
that what this would call for the commentary into turn its back
and vote to change the rules
while the senate is in session
on a fifty one person vote
it is dubious but in many respects is unprecedented this is something that you
generally do on the first distance session day
of the senate now
i think if i'm not mistaken
and and i may be mistaken about this but i know i read had planned to keep the
first day open
for an extended period of time
through a deal that he had made
with the republicans
i don't know if that's still in effect
but again its parliamentary pursue trick
jeff mark lee was saying the other day that he think something's gonna happen
so this uh...
this appointment
is these uh... nominees is the scene in is being seen in that context
supposedly reader has said privately
that the republicans filibuster
the labor secretary nominee
the e_p_a_ head in the consumer financial protection bureau ahead
he is willing to go nuclear
and
the idea is
obstruction on the street justices
will provide the political air cover for that
so keep your eyes on this
these positions are
crucial
president obama has
many many they could see
uh...
particularly on a district court level
think it's an appellate level
uh... on apollo level
there is still basically a mixed record
um...
also note that the senate republicans were threatening
to change the makeup of this circuit court
from eleven people to eight people
which is sort of like a reverse court packing ski
so instead of expanding it to sixteen in appointing
seven
liberal judges they would simply shrink the size of it
so that the republican dominance on this court could remain
uh... that's not going anywhere
it's interesting to see how this is playing out
the