Senate Takes Steps on Backlog of Nominations

[TomCADem]

Source: NY Times

WASHINGTON — The Senate showed signs on Tuesday of breaking a logjam of nominations being blocked by Republicans over growing objections from the White House and Democrats in Congress.

The Senate voted to confirm Lael Brainard on Tuesday to be Treasury under secretary for international affairs, nine months after she was nominated. The vote was 78 to 19. The Senate then moved on to consider four other nominees who have been held up.

Democrats contend that Republicans are delaying dozens of nominations mainly to stymie the administration and to force the Senate to use time overcoming procedural hurdles.

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, Democrat of Rhode Island, said the lopsided confirmations of Ms. Brainard and some other nominees showed that the delays were about “politics, plain and simple.”

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/21/us/politics/21logjam.html?hpw

[gratuitous]

1. Past time to be squawking about this, Democrats

"Up or down vote." "Will of the people." "The president is entitled to enact his agenda."

You know all the lines. Republicans were yipping them for eight long years, while Bush was making the most egregious appointments. It's our turn, and the people who voted you guys into the majority expect and deserve to see some positive results. Shame them, embarrass them, make them explain. Quit pussyfooting around, goddammit!

[msongs]

2. the entire "holds" process needs to be outlawed nt