• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

Democrats force delay on high court nominee vote

Posted on: Monday, 16 January 2006, 20:23 CST

By Thomas Ferraro

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrats on Monday forced a one-week delay on a vote by the Senate Judiciary Committee on Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito, but the 55-year-old conservative was still expected to be confirmed by the full Republican-led Senate.

Still, the Democratic action ended hopes by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, a Tennessee Republican, to have President George W. Bush's nominee confirmed by the end of this week for a seat on the nation's highest court.

"The Democrats' decision to delay ... is unjustified and desperate partisan obstructionism," Frist said in a statement.

"Despite these tactics, Judge Alito remains on track to be confirmed as Justice Alito," Frist said. "A Justice delayed will not be a Justice denied."

Bush has nominated Alito to replace retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, who has often been the swing vote on the nine-member Supreme Court on abortion and other social issues. If confirmed, Alito could move the high court to the right.

Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter wanted his panel, which held a confirmation hearing on Alito last week, to vote on Tuesday on whether to urge the full Senate to confirm Alito, a federal appeals judge the past 15 years.

But aides to the Pennsylvania Republican announced in a brief statement that Democrats said they would invoke their right to require a one-week delay if the committee met on Tuesday on Alito.

So the committee will vote instead on January 24, with the Senate beginning debate on the nominee by the next day, according to the statement.

In a separate statement, Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, the panel's top Democrat, said: "This arrangement accommodates Republicans and Democrats."

Most of the 44 Senate Democrats and one independent are expected to vote against Alito. But no Democrat has threatened a filibuster, largely because they do not appear to have the 41 votes that would be needed in the 100-member Senate to sustain such a procedural roadblock.

Alito responded to more than 700 questions during 18 hours of questioning at his confirmation hearing, and afterward some senators gave him additional questions in writing. Postponement will give Alito more time to respond to written questions and senators more time to consider his answers.

Source: REUTERS

More News in this Category