Mitch McConnell tells Democrats to stop ‘partisan procedural roadblocks’

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell demanded Democrats stop attempting to filibuster President Trump’s judicial nominees on Wednesday, saying it’s become a massive waste of time and is treating this White House differently than his predecessor.

Senators are slated to vote this week on two district judges who have bipartisan support.

But Democrats have mounted filibusters against both picks, forcing the chamber to spend what could amount to three days of floor time just to get them confirmed.

All but one of Mr. Trump’s judicial picks to reach the floor has faced an attempted filibuster, Mr. McConnell said.

“Yet, in almost every time a judicial nominee is brought to the floor, even nominees with votes like these…Democrats throw up partisan procedural roadblocks,” said Mr. McConnell. “They are just wasting more of the Senate’s time because they can. They’re doing it now.”

Democrats have said they’re doing due diligence in scrutinizing the picks, and the delays are part of that process.

If a filibuster isn’t attempted, the Senate can proceed to a quick majority vote for confirmations.

But when filibuster is mounted, GOP leaders must file a motion to end debate, wait two days to vote on it, and if they’re successful in overcoming the filibuster they must then allow up to 30 hours of debate afterward, before they can hold a final confirmation vote.

Mr. McConnell said Republicans only attempted to filibuster one of President Barack Obama’s controversial judicial nominees during his first year in office.

Mr. Trump has won six judicial confirmations so far. At this point, Mr. Obama had just two.

The president has alleged Democrats are obstructing his nominees, but Nan Aron, president of the progressive Alliance for Justice, said he’s wrong about the pace of confirmations.

“Federal judicial nominations, hearings and confirmations so far under President Trump have rapidly outpaced those that had taken place by this time during President Obama’s first term,” she said.