(NNPA)—“For the first time in history, Republicans have routinely used the filibuster to prevent President Obama from appointing his executive team or confirming judges…The change we propose today would ensure executive and judicial nominees get an up or down vote on confirmation—yes or no.”—Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid
The United States Senate recently took a highly controversial but much-needed step to end the abuse of the filibuster and ensure that nominees to executive branch appointments and federal judgeships can be confirmed by a simple majority vote. By a 52-48 vote, the Senate limited a longstanding filibuster procedure that has been used to block an unprecedented number of President Obama’s appointments and turned “advise and consent” into “deny and obstruct” over the last five years.
The National Urban League applauds this historic action and hopes that it clears the way for a final vote to allow a number of highly qualified Americans to serve their country. This includes the three judges the president recently picked to fill vacancies on the D.C. Court of Appeals and Rep. Melvin Watt, a 20-year member of the House Financial Services Committee and former Chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, who was nominated in May to be Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency.
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