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ACTION ALERT -- People For the American Way
Alert Date: Jan. 6, 2005
TELL SENATE DEMOCRATIC LEADER REID: DON'T GIVE UP THE FILIBUSTER
________________________________________________________________
Dear Bob,
Signaling the start of another year of ideological warfare
aimed at our courts and constitutional rights, President Bush
announced last week that he will re-submit to the Senate a dozen
controversial judicial nominees who were not confirmed in 2004,
including right-wing extremists like William Haynes, Brett
Kavanaugh and Janice Rogers Brown. As the Washington Post noted,
Bush's action amounts to a "childish message to Senate
Democrats... : I dare you to try filibustering them again."[1]
Send a message to counter Bush's - tell Sen. Harry Reid, the
Senate Democrats' new leader, "Don't give up the filibuster and
don't hesitate to use it when needed!"
http://www.pfaw.org/pfaw/general/default.aspx?oid=16842&action=1592
When it comes to protecting the courts, the filibuster is one
of the most important parliamentary tools progressives have.
With the filibuster, it takes 60 Senate votes to cut off debate
and confirm right-wing judicial nominees. Without the
filibuster, it only take 51 votes to push a nominee through.
The filibuster is sometimes the only leverage we have to defeat
right-wing nominees and force the President to compromise.
Bush's bluster, echoed by Republican Senate leaders, is meant to
frighten Democratic senators away from using it.
Write Sen. Reid today with with a strong message backing the
filibuster. Make your letter more powerful by adding supporting
facts like those below to your letter.
* FILIBUSTERS ON JUDICIAL NOMINATIONS ARE CONSTITUTIONAL
The U.S. Constitution gives senators the vital responsibility
and power to confirm or reject the President's nominees to our
federal courts (U.S. Con., Art. 2, Sec. 2). The Constitution
also gives senators the authority to create rules for Senate
proceedings (U.S. Con, Art. 1, Sec. 5). For over 200 years, the
filibuster tradition has been maintained under this authority
and used by senators of both parties, including GOP Senate
Majority Leader Bill Frist, to prevent the confirmation of
judicial nominees.
* FILIBUSTERS ON JUDICIAL NOMINATIONS CAN BE APPROPRIATE
A primary goal of the filibuster is to force greater
deliberation and compromise on controversial Senate matters by
requiring that they receive 60 votes to proceed. Since it is
legitimate to filibuster controversial legislation that future
Congresses can revisit, it is even more appropriate to allow
filibusters when considering lifetime appointments to powerful
positions on the federal judiciary.
* FILIBUSTERS ON JUDICIAL NOMINATIONS CAN BE NECESSARY
The outgoing Republican chairman of the Judiciary Committee,
Sen. Orrin Hatch, has himself explained that the filibuster is
"one of the few tools that the minority has to protect itself
and those the minority represents." Indeed, that's why the
Radical Right's win-at-all-costs strategy includes eliminating
the filibuster. No one disputes that the next appointment to the
Supreme Court will greatly impact the rights of millions of
Americans. Given that and the fact that more Americans voted for
Democratic senators in 2004 than voted for Republican senators,
the filibuster's function to protect the rights of the
"minority" is ever more necessary.
Right-wing leaders know that the filibuster facts are aligned
against them, so their best option is to avoid a public debate
on the issue by intimidating Democratic senators. Your words of
support for the filibuster, especially to the Democratic
leadership, are the antidote. Write today, and please forward
this alert to friends so that they have the facts about the
filibuster, too.
________________________________________________________________
*** RIGHT-WING RECYCLING ***
Bush's renominations include these troubling federal appeals
court nominees:
Terrence W. Boyle (4th Circuit)
Janice Rogers Brown (D.C. Circuit)
Richard Griffin (6th Circuit)
Thomas Griffith (D.C. Circuit)
William Haynes, II (4th Circuit)
Brett Kavanaugh (D.C. Circuit)
David McKeague (6th Circuit)
William Myers, III (9th Circuit)
Susan Bieke Neilson (6th Circuit)
Priscilla Owen (5th Circuit)
William Pryor (11th Circuit)
Henry Saad (6th Circuit)
To learn about these nominees' records, go to:
http://www.pfaw.org/pfaw/general/default.aspx?oid=14172
________________________________________________________________
*** GONZALES WRONG CHOICE FOR JUSTICE DEPT. ***
People For opposes President Bush's nomination of Alberto
Gonzales to be the next U.S. Attorney General. Senate hearings
on the nomination begin today, Jan. 6.
Contact your senators about Gonzales' nomination at:
http://www.pfaw.org/pfaw/general/default.aspx?oid=16842&action=1516
Read PFAW's statement to senators on Gonzales at:
http://www.pfaw.org/pfaw/general/default.aspx?oid=17596
________________________________________________________________
[1]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A43443-2005Jan2?language=printer
________________________________________________________________
People For the American Way
2000 M Street, NW | Suite 400 | Washington, DC 20036
http://www.pfaw.org/ | [email protected]
1-800-326-PFAW | 202/467-4999
ACTION ALERT -- People For the American Way
Alert Date: Jan. 6, 2005
TELL SENATE DEMOCRATIC LEADER REID: DON'T GIVE UP THE FILIBUSTER
________________________________________________________________
Dear Bob,
Signaling the start of another year of ideological warfare
aimed at our courts and constitutional rights, President Bush
announced last week that he will re-submit to the Senate a dozen
controversial judicial nominees who were not confirmed in 2004,
including right-wing extremists like William Haynes, Brett
Kavanaugh and Janice Rogers Brown. As the Washington Post noted,
Bush's action amounts to a "childish message to Senate
Democrats... : I dare you to try filibustering them again."[1]
Send a message to counter Bush's - tell Sen. Harry Reid, the
Senate Democrats' new leader, "Don't give up the filibuster and
don't hesitate to use it when needed!"
http://www.pfaw.org/pfaw/general/default.aspx?oid=16842&action=1592
When it comes to protecting the courts, the filibuster is one
of the most important parliamentary tools progressives have.
With the filibuster, it takes 60 Senate votes to cut off debate
and confirm right-wing judicial nominees. Without the
filibuster, it only take 51 votes to push a nominee through.
The filibuster is sometimes the only leverage we have to defeat
right-wing nominees and force the President to compromise.
Bush's bluster, echoed by Republican Senate leaders, is meant to
frighten Democratic senators away from using it.
Write Sen. Reid today with with a strong message backing the
filibuster. Make your letter more powerful by adding supporting
facts like those below to your letter.
* FILIBUSTERS ON JUDICIAL NOMINATIONS ARE CONSTITUTIONAL
The U.S. Constitution gives senators the vital responsibility
and power to confirm or reject the President's nominees to our
federal courts (U.S. Con., Art. 2, Sec. 2). The Constitution
also gives senators the authority to create rules for Senate
proceedings (U.S. Con, Art. 1, Sec. 5). For over 200 years, the
filibuster tradition has been maintained under this authority
and used by senators of both parties, including GOP Senate
Majority Leader Bill Frist, to prevent the confirmation of
judicial nominees.
* FILIBUSTERS ON JUDICIAL NOMINATIONS CAN BE APPROPRIATE
A primary goal of the filibuster is to force greater
deliberation and compromise on controversial Senate matters by
requiring that they receive 60 votes to proceed. Since it is
legitimate to filibuster controversial legislation that future
Congresses can revisit, it is even more appropriate to allow
filibusters when considering lifetime appointments to powerful
positions on the federal judiciary.
* FILIBUSTERS ON JUDICIAL NOMINATIONS CAN BE NECESSARY
The outgoing Republican chairman of the Judiciary Committee,
Sen. Orrin Hatch, has himself explained that the filibuster is
"one of the few tools that the minority has to protect itself
and those the minority represents." Indeed, that's why the
Radical Right's win-at-all-costs strategy includes eliminating
the filibuster. No one disputes that the next appointment to the
Supreme Court will greatly impact the rights of millions of
Americans. Given that and the fact that more Americans voted for
Democratic senators in 2004 than voted for Republican senators,
the filibuster's function to protect the rights of the
"minority" is ever more necessary.
Right-wing leaders know that the filibuster facts are aligned
against them, so their best option is to avoid a public debate
on the issue by intimidating Democratic senators. Your words of
support for the filibuster, especially to the Democratic
leadership, are the antidote. Write today, and please forward
this alert to friends so that they have the facts about the
filibuster, too.
________________________________________________________________
*** RIGHT-WING RECYCLING ***
Bush's renominations include these troubling federal appeals
court nominees:
Terrence W. Boyle (4th Circuit)
Janice Rogers Brown (D.C. Circuit)
Richard Griffin (6th Circuit)
Thomas Griffith (D.C. Circuit)
William Haynes, II (4th Circuit)
Brett Kavanaugh (D.C. Circuit)
David McKeague (6th Circuit)
William Myers, III (9th Circuit)
Susan Bieke Neilson (6th Circuit)
Priscilla Owen (5th Circuit)
William Pryor (11th Circuit)
Henry Saad (6th Circuit)
To learn about these nominees' records, go to:
http://www.pfaw.org/pfaw/general/default.aspx?oid=14172
________________________________________________________________
*** GONZALES WRONG CHOICE FOR JUSTICE DEPT. ***
People For opposes President Bush's nomination of Alberto
Gonzales to be the next U.S. Attorney General. Senate hearings
on the nomination begin today, Jan. 6.
Contact your senators about Gonzales' nomination at:
http://www.pfaw.org/pfaw/general/default.aspx?oid=16842&action=1516
Read PFAW's statement to senators on Gonzales at:
http://www.pfaw.org/pfaw/general/default.aspx?oid=17596
________________________________________________________________
[1]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A43443-2005Jan2?language=printer
________________________________________________________________
People For the American Way
2000 M Street, NW | Suite 400 | Washington, DC 20036
http://www.pfaw.org/ | [email protected]
1-800-326-PFAW | 202/467-4999