Republicans speeding up pace for court nominees

WASHINGTON -- Republicans pushed three U.S. Appeals Court nominees through a confirmation hearing Wednesday and prepared for a politically charged vote on a fourth in an effort to make good on promises to speed up approval of federal judicial nominees.

"These nominees have been languishing in the committee," said new Judiciary Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, who plans on using his one-vote committee majority advantage to push nominees quickly to the Senate floor, where Republicans hold a two-vote advantage.

Democrats complained about the expedited schedule, which they said forced them to question three judges on the same day instead of taking them one at a time: Jeff Sutton, Deborah Cook and John Roberts.

"It seems part of a headlong effort to pack the courts," said Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, the committee's top Democrat.

"Scheduling any three circuit court nominees for a hearing on one day makes it difficult to perform adequately our constitutional duty," said Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass. "Doing so for three controversial nominees makes it impossible and suggests a plan to press Democrats into rubber-stamping controversial nominees."

But Hatch refused to guarantee that he wouldn't hold hearings for multiple nominees again, telling senators he would hold another Appeals Court confirmation hearing next Wednesday for Jay Bybee, nominated to a seat on the San Francisco-based U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, and three U.S. District Court nominees.

"I think we ought to be able to move ahead and I'm prepared to do what I have to do," he said.

Democrats spent most of their time grilling Sutton, an appellate lawyer from Columbus, Ohio. They said he tried to limit federal civil rights protections and weaken protections for state employees with disabilities.