Informal Senate Agreement May Speed Time for Judicial Confirmations

An informal Senate agreement on the rules of filibusters has the potential to accelerate confirmations of federal district court judges. The agreement, reached by Senator Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), reduces the amount of time—from a few days to a few hours—required to overcome a filibuster and force a vote. It has yet to be finalized by the Senate.