Republicans Trying to Pink-Slip Obama’s D.C. Court Picks
In April 2005, U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts delivered a lecture at the University of Virginia School of Law entitled, “What Makes the D.C. Circuit Different?”
Roberts, an alumnus of the federal appeals court in Washington, explained the D.C. Circuit’s “unique character” as a judicial body “with special responsibility to review legal challenges to the conduct of the national government.” He noted the court hears a disproportionate number of appeals from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Environmental Protection Agency, Federal Trade Commission, Securities and Exchange Commission, and other “alphabet soup” regulatory agencies.
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On June 4, a combative-sounding President Barack Obama announced his choices for all three openings and pre-emptively chastised Senate Republicans for blocking some of his previous choices for the court.
“This is not about principled opposition,” the president said. “It’s about partisan obstruction.”
When Republicans returned fire, they augmented finger-pointing about politicizing the judiciary with an argument about manpower: they said they oppose Obama’s nominees because the judges aren’t needed.
Senator Charles Grassley of Iowa is pushing a bill that would eliminate the D.C. Circuit’s three vacancies on the theory that the court is underworked. He proposes to do away with one judgeship and transfer the other two to circuits with heavier caseloads.
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http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-06-06/republicans-trying-to-pink-slip-obama-s-d-c-court-picks.html
