Washington, D.C.: On Monday July 30th the Senate blocked the confirmation of the appointment of Robert Bacharach to the United States Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit. Bacharach's confirmation was blocked by a Republican fillibuster.[1] The block was surprising in that Bacharach was a non-controversial appointment and had support from both sides of the aisle.[1] However, some had predicted the block may be coming in response to the looming presidential election.[2]
On the Senate floor during the debate of the vote Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (KY) said that, "This is not about the individual who has been nominated." He went on to indicate that the block was the beginning of "a bipartisan timeout" leading up to the November 6 presidential election.[1] It is expected that the Senate will not take up any more federal judicial appointments until after the election.
