Denver, CO – The confirmation of President Bush’s judicial nominees heats up today in Washington D.C.  The Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to send a second appeals court candidate to the Senate floor for a vote.

The White House has been campaigning hard to pack the federal judiciary with ultra-conservative judges and justices.  Republican appointees now constitute a majority of judges on the federal appeals court.  Out of 13 appeals courts in the nation, Republicans have a majority in 10 of the courts.

The Republican efforts to stack the federal courts with ultra-conservative judges have a negative impact on the American public. Regional and appeals courts hear over 63,000 court cases a year and the decisions that they render impact all aspects of society.  Having a diverse appeals court is critical to ensuring a fair and unbiased court system in America. 

Moreover, the process of nomination is being watched very closely because it could lead to what many have been speculating over the last several months; a Republican led campaign to end the filibuster process in the Senate.

While the Republicans hold a 55-45 majority in the Senate they need five additional votes to secure a nomination of a judge.  Historically, the filibuster has been used by the minority party in the Senate to talk an issue or nomination to death in order stop a confirmation vote. 

Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., is leading the fight to end the filibuster process.  Frist wants to cut off any potential debate on the Senate floor and allow for a simple majority vote to confirm the judicial nominations.  His campaign is being called the “nuclear option”.

The bottom line for Americans is that if the Republicans vote to implement the “nuclear option’, the voices of the 45 Democratic Senators will not be heard.  This opens the door for a single party America. 

“The Republican campaign to silence the Democratic voice in the Senate infringes on the rights of Democratic Senators to be heard and the right of the American public to be represented in its government.  This effort by the Republicans further threatens the balance of power in this country,” said Pat Waak, Chair of the Democratic Party. 

Republican Senator Wayne Allard of Colorado has responded to hundreds of requests to oppose the implementation of the “nuclear option” arguing that the true purpose of this effort is to restore faith in the Constitutional process.

Senator Allard fails to explain how eradicating the voice of the minority party in the Senate is not violating the minority Senators’ right to free speech.  Furthermore, the implementation of the “nuclear option” infringes on the American public right to equal representation.

Not all Republicans are supporting the “nuclear option”.

According to a statement in the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday, Republican Senator John McCain from Arizona is inclined to vote against the “nuclear option” because it represents a threat to senate floor that allows the minority party to have a voice.

“I don’t know why in the last 200 years we have not had this kind of crisis before, but we have always been able to work things out.  We will not be in the majority forever.  History has shown us that,” McCain said.

Republicans should listen to advice from Senator McCain.  The Republican effort to take total control over the government will catch up to them and could ignite anti-Republican efforts during the 2006 elections.