Sessions says Dems to blame for starting judicial filibusters

The Senate should move back to allowing an up-or-down vote on judicial nominees, Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) urged.

Sessions, the top Republican member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, defended the GOP's decision to filibuster (unsuccessfully) one of President Barack Obama's judicial nominees, but blamed Democrats for having essentially forced such a situation.

Sessions wrote in an op-ed for the Washington Post that Senate Democrats' decision to filibuster judicial nominees during the Bush administration had essentially forced Republicans to take up similar tactics now.

"For Republicans to ignore the changed rules would be to acquiesce in a system where 60 votes are needed to confirm judges nominated by Republicans, but only 51 are required to confirm judges nominated by Democrats," Sessions said. "To allow such a double standard would be akin to unilateral disarmament."

"A return to the tradition of up-or-down votes on all judicial nominees would, I believe, strengthen the Senate," he added. "I have offered to discuss with my colleagues ways this could be permanently codified in the Senate's official rules. So far, no takers."

Sessions and a group of Republican lawmakers had sought to prevent a vote on Judge David Hamilton's nomination to a spot on the U.S. Seventh Circuit Court. Hamilton was ultimately confirmed in a 59-39 vote.