Sen Grassley (R-IA) Proposes Eliminating 3 Seats On Powerful Court To Keep Obama From Filling Them

[Tx4obama]

Grassley Proposes Eliminating 3 Seats On Powerful Court To Keep Obama From Filling Them

As ThinkProgress has previously explained, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit is the second most powerful court in the country. It’s also a bastion of right-wing jurisprudence thanks in no small part to Senate Republican filibusters. Two George W. Bush appointees on this court recently struck down clean air regulations that would have prevented “between 13,000 and 34,000 premature deaths, 15,000 non-fatal heart attacks, 19,000 hospital and emergency room visits and 1.8 million days of missed work or school for each year.” Three conservative members of the court handed down a decision earlier this year that would make much of American labor law completely unenforceable, and render an important agency created to check Wall Street impotent to boot. At least two of the Court’s judges believe that all business, workplace or Wall Street regulation is constitutionally suspect.

Time, however, is a harsh mistress, and several of the court’s older Republican appointees have taken partial retirement in the last several years. As a result, this court that once boasted one of the most lopsided lineups in the country now is split 4-3 between Democratic and Republican appointees. Moreover, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing today on the nomination of Sri Srinivasan to the DC Circuit, a nominee so brimming with conservative endorsers and past jobs working for Republican judges and administrations, that his nomination is practically an act of trolling by President Obama. If Srinivasan is confirmed, Republican-appointees will no longer have a majority among the active judges on the nation’s second-highest court. If another Obama nominee is confirmed to one of the three remaining vacancies, Republican-appointees will be in the minority.

Which explains why Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) used Srinivasan’s hearing to introduce legislation ensuring that this won’t happen:

-snip-

Based on the 2012 statistics from the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, the D.C. Circuit has the fewest number of appeals filed per authorized judgeship, with 108. By way of comparison, the 11th Circuit ranks first with over 5 times as many appeals filed per authorized judgeship, with 583. . . . Given this imbalance in workload, today I am introducing the Court Efficiency Act. A number of my colleagues are co-sponsoring the legislation, including Senators Hatch, Sessions, Graham, Cornyn, Lee, Cruz and Flake.

This legislation is straightforward. It would add a seat to the Second and the Eleventh Circuits. At the same time, it would reduce the number of authorized judgeships for the D.C. Circuit from 11 to 8.

-snip-

Full article here: http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2013/04/10/1848931/grassley-proposes-eliminating-3-seats-on-powerful-court-to-keep-obama-from-filling-them/

F*** all the damn Republicans!!!
Grrrr!!!

[unblock]

1. Wow, they're trying to gerrymander the courts!

[Phlem]

5. Blatantly

-p

[elleng]

2. Surprised?

[Scuba]

3. No.

[liberal N proud]

4. Their hate is a BIG thing.

[ladjf]

6. The sleaze goes on. While the Supreme Court is balanced toward the Republicans, the

law makers simple continue to violate the constitution.

[msongs]

7. harry reid is responsible for the vacant judge posts by allowing filibusters nt

[Tx4obama]

8. Yeah, let's not put the blame on THE REPUBLICANS where it belongs.

Blaming Reid everyday is getting old.

I guess everyone could avoid blaming THE REPUBLICANS by blaming the judges that retired/died.