Obama Uses Nuclear Option To Stack Appeals Courts

Ted Cruz accuses Senate of stacking courts to protect Obamacare

by Cheryl K. Chumley-The Washington Times  |  published on November 23, 2013

Sen. Ted Cruz cut to the chase and gave his view of the real reason fellow Democrats wanted to ban filibusters against certain court nominees: It’s all aimed at protecting the long-term fate of Obamacare, he said.

“The heart of this action is directed at packing the D.C. Circuit because that is the court that will review the lawless behavior of the Obama administration implementing Obamacare,” he said, in The Hill. “President Obama and the administration refuse to follow the plain text of the law, and the D.C Circuit is the court of appeals that has been holding the administration accountable.”

The whole scheme — the passage of the rule change — was “designed to pack that court with judges that they believe will be a rubber stamp,” Mr. Cruz said, The Hill reported.

The rule change opens the door for three new Democratic-backed judges on the 11-justice court, which would shift the balance away from a more conservative ideology, The Hill reported.

Mr. Cruz wasn’t alone in his belief. Sen. John Barrasso, who chairs the Senate Republican Policy Committee, said “lawsuits affecting the health care law will go through this court, and if the president is able to pack this court, it’s his effort to try to defend a law the American people don’t like and believe they can’t afford,” The Hill said.

Read more at 1776 Coalition: http://www.1776coalition.com/featured-content/ted-cruz-accuses-senate-of-stacking-courts-to-protect-obamacare#ixzz2lTcWN04b

Reid's Nuclear Option: Mass Destruction

Legal expert says Senate Dems' nuclear option could lead to 'mass destruction'

Published November 21, 2013

FoxNews.com

Facebook146 Twitter185 LinkedIn0

Jay Sekulow, the Chief Counsel of the American Center for Law and Justice , told Fox News’ Megyn Kelly Thursday Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid’s decision to invoke the so-called “nuclear option” could change the face of the federal judiciary, saying “when you use a nuclear weapon there is mass destruction.”

Sekulow said on “The Kelly File” the Senate decision to approve a rule change that strips the minority party of its primary power to block nominations could be a slippery slope.

“I think Supreme Court nominees aren’t going to be off the table either, I don’t think legislation is off the table,” Sekulow said. “I think what Harry did today was use the nuclear option and Megyn, when you use a nuclear weapon there is mass destruction.”

He said Supreme Court Justices Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor, Obama appointees considered to be very liberal, could seem moderate in comparison to future appointees in other federal courts.

“The president said he wants to remake the federal judiciary and you can imagine the image in which that is going to be remade,” he said.

However, Sekulow said the Democrats’ move may backfire, because Republicans will be able to do the same when they regain the majority in the chamber and there is a Republican in the White House.

“The fact of the matter is they need to play tough too because it is good for both, this is not a one-way ratchet here,” he said.