Stage Set for Senate Showdown on Bush Nominees
Thu Apr 21, 2005 03:00 PM ET
By Thomas Ferraro

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A divided U.S. Senate committee approved two conservative judicial nominees previously blocked by Democrats on Thursday, setting the stage for a showdown that could paralyze the Republican-led Senate.

On party-line votes of 10-8, the Judiciary Committee sent President Bush's renominations of Priscilla Owen of Texas and Janice Rogers Brown of California to the full Senate for confirmation.

Contending all nominees deserve a vote, Republicans have threatened to change Senate rules to ban procedural roadblocks known as filibusters against judicial candidates.

"Judicial nominees now and in the future, and the American people, deserve better than the treatment they've received by this partisan minority of the Senate," said Sen. John Cornyn, a Texas Republican.

Democrats accuse Republicans of an arrogance of power, and have vowed to retaliate against any such rule change by invoking other procedural maneuvers to slow Senate work on matters they consider nonessential, a move that could stall plenty of Republican legislation.

"It is no small irony that the president has spoken of being a uniter, but he has used his position to send judicial nominations that put the Senate on the edge of a great divide," said Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, the panel's top Democrat.

Though it has been unclear if Republicans can muster the votes needed to change the rules, many in their ranks believe they can do so. A showdown could come within weeks.