Senators Reach Deal to Avert Showdown on Judicial Nominees - New York Times

Senators Reach Deal to Avert Showdown on Judicial Nominees - New York Times: "May 23, 2005
Senators Reach Deal to Avert Showdown on Judicial Nominees
By CARL HULSE
and MARK J. PRENDERGAST

WASHINGTON, May 23 - An evenly divided bipartisan group of 14 senators said tonight that they had reached an agreement that would avert a potentially explosive vote on Tuesday on banning filibusters against judicial nominees.

Both parties' standard-bearers in the Senate, Bill Frist of Tennessee, the leader of the Republican majority, and Harry Reid, the Democrats' leader, quickly announced support for the deal, which one of its main brokers, Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona, hailed as taking the Senate back from the edge of a 'precipice.'

The agreement would appear to clear the way for the approval of at least some of President Bush's stalled nominees. But it would also preserve the Democrats' right to use the judicial filibuster - or the Republicans' right, in a future Congress when they are the minority - under what were described tonight as 'extraordinary circumstances.'

'In a Senate that is increasingly polarized, the bipartisan center held,' said Senator Joseph Lieberman, the Connecticut Democrats who was one of the 14 senators.

Senator Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican and part of the group, agreed, saying, 'The Senate is back in business.'

Senator Robert Byrd, the West Virginia Democrat, said, 'We have lifted ourselves above politics.'

Under the accord, announced in a hastily called Capitol news conference, the 14 senators pledged to vote to end prolonged debate on three of President Bush's most disputed appellate court nominees: Priscilla R. Owen of Texas, Janice Rogers Brown of California and William H. Pryor of Arkansas.

The 14 senators made 'no commitment to vote for or against' the filibuster against two other nominees, Henry Saad and W"