Breaking the judicial logjam requires fixing the Senate

We’ve written a lot about the failure of the United States Senate to confirm judges.  But that failure is part of a wider failure – the failure of the Senate itself, brought on by the unprecedented misuse of arcane rules and procedures by the Republican minority.

In addition to obstructing scores of judicial nominees, the abuse of rules, particularly the filibuster, has doomed one essential piece of legislation after another, such as energy and climate legislation, the DREAM Act, and the Employee Free Choice Act.  That’s why AFJ is among the leaders of a coalition called Fix The Senate Now.  And now, in a new report, AFJ is connecting the dots – illustrating the direct link between Republican stalling tactics and the crisis on the federal bench. 

We support modest reforms to restore balance to the legislative process.  America simply cannot function with a Senate in paralysis. 

Click here to read AFJ’s report: Senate Rules Reform and Republican Obstruction of Judicial Nominees.