Washington – Republicans moved Friday to shut off debate on the nomination of Priscilla Owen, forcing a showdown over the use of filibusters against judicial nominees Tuesday unless a bipartisan group of senators can agree on a compromise plan.
Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, acting in behalf of Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., filed the cloture motion Friday afternoon after more than two dozen hours of debate on Owen.
Debate will continue Monday, with the cloture vote scheduled for sometime Tuesday.
Frist’s office said that if Republicans fail to muster the 60 votes needed to end debate, as is likely, the majority leader will invoke what has become known as the “nuclear option”: a point of order designed to change Senate precedent to allow a simple majority of the Senate to halt debate on judicial nominees.
The outcome has significant implications for President Bush’s effort to reshape the federal judiciary and, in particular, anticipated confirmation battles over Supreme Court appointments, which could occur this summer.
The debate also could affect how the Senate conducts business and on relations between the parties that could spill over onto Bush’s agenda, which includes Social Security restructuring and energy legislation.
The carefully scripted procedure disguised the suspense that has enveloped the bitter fight over Bush’s judicial nominees.
Despite multiple head counts by Democrats and Republicans and various expressions of confidence, neither Frist nor Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., is certain who has the votes to prevail if the “nuclear option” is invoked, according to sources in both parties.
Reid told a group of columnists he thought Democrats would have enough votes to win, but added, “I don’t know how it will come out. It’s very uncertain.”
Nor is it clear whether the so-called Gang of 12 senators involved in intense negotiations can strike a deal in time to avert the clash on the Senate floor.
