President Obama's first federal appeals court nominee, David Hamilton, has still yet to make it to a full Senate vote, having been held up with procedural blocks for months now due to objections over his ruling against the Indiana House opening prayer policy. Now, it would seem, the Majority Leader, Harry Reid, is preparing to take action. Blog of Legal Times reports:
Late Tuesday, Reid filed a so-called cloture motion seeking to end debate on the nomination of Judge David Hamilton for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit. Hamilton, now a district court judge in the Southern District of Indiana, has been awaiting confirmation since March.
Reid needs 60 votes to end debate, and his motion is a sign that he believes he has enough. At least one Republican, Indiana Sen. Richard Lugar, has said he supports Hamilton. If the motion succeeds, which could happen as soon as Tuesday, a vote to confirm Hamilton could occur immediately or later in the week.
