ACLJ Launches Nationwide Campaign to Urge Senate to End Filibusters for Judicial Nominees.

WASHINGTON -- The American Center for Law and Justice, which specializes in constitutional law, today launched a nationwide campaign to urge the leadership of the U.S. Senate to change its rules to bring an end to the crippling use of filibusters against judicial nominees.

"With the start of a new Congressional session just weeks away, the time to encourage the Senate to change the rule putting an end to the use of judicial filibusters is now," said Jay Sekulow, Chief Counsel of the ACLJ. "The Senate clearly has the authority to amend its own rules and take the action necessary to end the unconstitutional use of the judicial filibuster - a tactic designed to prevent up-or-down votes on President Bush's judicial nominees. With the existing crisis in the federal judiciary - and a possible vacancy on the Supreme Court - the Senate must stand in support of the Constitution and put judicial filibusters off limits. The American people understand the gravity of this situation and in the weeks ahead we will hear from thousands who want to see an end to judicial filibusters."

The ACLJ has provided legal memoranda to Senate leadership and members of the Judiciary Committee urging them to change the Senate rule that requires 60 votes to cut-off a filibuster. The memos (posted online at http://www.aclj.org/Issues/Resources/Document.aspx?ID=865) detail options available for a change in the Senate rule and urges leadership to utilize one of two options to make that change.

Under the "New Congress Option," the Senate has power to set its own procedural rules and at the beginning of the next congressional session - with a simple majority vote - can make the necessary changes needed to prohibit filibusters from being used against judicial nominees. The second option available to the Senate is the "Constitutional Option" and permits the Senate to adopt rules for its proceedings free from the constraints imposed under the rules held over from prior Congresses. With this option, the Senate can act at any time during its session and move to change the cloture rule regarding filibusters.

The ACLJ has launched the Petition to End Judicial Filibusters - a national petition campaign that will reach hundreds of thousands of Americans. Sekulow said the ACLJ will use a number of methods to get the word out - including direct mail, e-mail, website, its weekly national television program, and its daily radio program, which is heard on nearly 550 radio stations nationwide.

"The American people understand that the role of the Senate is to provide advice and consent for the President's judicial nominees," said Sekulow. "And, that means permitting every nominee to get an up-or-down vote on the Senate floor. We're confident the Senate will not turn a deaf ear to the many Americans who want to see the judicial filibuster removed."

The American Center for Law and Justice specializes in constitutional law and is based in Washington, D.C. and is online at www.aclj.org.