WASHINGTON, May 24 (UPI) -- President Bush said Tuesday he is pleased a bipartisan Senate deal was struck for voting on three of his five main judicial nominees.
The White House, however, later indicated it was less than what Bush would have liked to have seen and did not fully address partisan blockage in the judicial nomination process.
"I am pleased the Senate is moving forward on my judicial nominees who were previously being blocked," he said. "It's about time we're making some progress.
Under the deal, Democrats agreed not to filibuster confirmation votes on Priscilla Owen, Janice Rodgers Brown and William Pryor to federal appellate benches. In return, Republicans will not try to strike Senate rules requiring 60 of 100 votes to end filibuster debate on judicial nominees and replace it with a simple majority ruling.
The deal was struck by centrist lawmakers who bypassed their more unyielding party leaders.
Bush and Republican lawmakers have complained Democrats stall Bush's nominees for years despite cases going unheard in federal courts because of a lack of appellate judges. Democrats say Bush's nominees are too conservative.
