Senate Majority leader Harry Reid moved last night to overcome Republican obstruction of more presidential nominations, including that of Timothy Brooks of Fayetteville to a federal district court judgeship in the western district of Arkansas.
Votes on cloture — a procedural move to overcome the Republican blockade — will begin at 5:30 p.m. Monday. But because the Republicans are requiring individual cloture votes on every pending nominee and because hours of debate are allowed for each nominee after the cloture vote, it’s not possible to predict precisely when Brooks’ vote will finally arrive. He’s another non-controversial appointee, supported by both Arkansas senators, and being delayed only because of general Republican efforts to keep presidential judicial nominations from moving forward. Sen. Chuck Grassley is a leader of the blockade. Brooks is among six nominations that Reid is moving forward.