Tuesday’s batch confirmation [1]of 60 patient Obama administration nominees was an encouraging break from Senate Republicans’ current unprecedented obstruction efforts, but it seems it might not yet represent the turning over of a new leaf.
NPR [2] yesterday counted 69 Senate holds on executive branch and judicial nominees—most of them anonymous.
Included in this holding pen, our friends at Alliance For Justice [3] have noticed, is every judicial nominee who’s been cleared for a floor vote, including 13 who received no opposition in committee.
Sen. Claire McCaskill now has gotten 68 Senators [4]to sign a pledge to not participate in anonymous holds and to call for the abolishment of the practice. Only 10 Republicans have signed on.