Calvin Prof Looks at Senate Filibusters

May 16, 205 == MEDIA ADVISORY

One interested observer of the possible filibuster in the U.S. Senate is
Calvin College political science professor Doug Koopman.

On Thursday, May 12 the Senate saw the Republican-controlled Judiciary
Committee approve another of President Bush's nominees to a federal appeals
court despite threats from Democrats to block the nomination with a filibuster
on the Senate floor.

The Judiciary Committee, voting 10-8 along party lines, endorsed former
Alabama Atty. Gen. William Pryor Jr., 41, for a seat on the U.S. Court of
Appeals for the 11th District in Atlanta.

Democrats used the filibuster to block Pryor's nomination during Bush's first
term. Now Pryor must receive full Senate approval by the end of the year for a
lifetime appointment.

Koopman worked in Washington for 15 years, including a stint on a joint
House-Senate committee under its chairman, Senator Bill Roth, a Delaware
Republican.

He says the upcoming days in D.C. will make for interesting political theater.
 But when all is said and done he imagines not too much will change.

"I think the Senate will look over the precipice," he says, "and then decide
not to end the potential for judicial filibusters. In other words they will
keep the status quo."

Koopman adds that although it is possible that Democrats will allow direct
votes on all seven disputed nominations, it's far more likely that the first
nomination will start a filibuster. Soon after that, he says, Senator Bill
Frist, the Senate majority leader, could move to "redefine" Senate rules
outlawing judicial filibusters.

Koopman says he expects the first Senate vote to alter the filibuster will
narrowly pass. That could be followed by a motion to reconsider the vote, and
a last-minute deal to vote on more or all the President's stalled nominees.

But, Koopman adds, while the status quo might remain this latest set-to does
indicate changes in Washington.

And not, he says, changes for the better.

"The decline in comity of the Congress, both House and Senate," he says, "is
troubling. First there is the decision by the Senate's minority party, the
Democrats, to block so many federal appeals court nominations. The origins of
this dispute are significant. But also significant is the majority party's
contemplation of this response, to limit filibusters on federal court
nominations. It's not a good week for either side."

Koopman says the topic is pertinent for Michigan which is part of the Sixth
Federal Circuit (Appeals) Court headquartered in Cincinnati. There are four
Bush nominations in this one Circuit (composed of federal courts in Michigan,
Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee) caught up in this controversy he says.

Contact Koopman at 616-526-6706 or dkoopman@calvin.edu

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Received on Mon May 16 08:43:24 2005