168 presidential nominations have been filibustered in U.S. history. Of those, 82 that were blocked, almost half, were President Obama’s nominees. The remaining 86 that were blocked are from all other U.S. Presidents in history combined.

This unprecedented obstruction from Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz on allowing an up-or-down vote on presidential nominees led today to U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid pursuing a rules change to the filibuster – better known as the “nuclear option.”

Our statement:

Filibuster reform is necessary because we need to end the gridlock and get back to work. John Cornyn broke the promise he made to the American people on presidential nominees. If Senator Cornyn kept his word, the so-called nuclear option wouldn’t be necessary. - Phillip Martin, Deputy Director of Progress Texas

In leading the obstruction, Senator Cornyn broke the promise he made on blocking presidential nominees in 2005:

“No partisan minority of the Senate has a right to block a bipartisan majority from casting a vote to confirm this president or any president’s nominees”

As a consequence of the obstruction, Texas has nine judicial vacancies – more than any other in the country. Senators Cornyn and Cruz have the role and responsibility to give the President and the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee a name they won’t block to fill the vacancies. Yet neither has taken action in all of 2013.

To learn more about our work on judicial vacancies, visit www.ProgressTexas.org/WhyCourtsMatter

Additional information:

• Progress Texas: 37 Organizations Call on Cornyn, Cruz to Stop Obstructing Judicial Nominees
• Progress Texas: John Cornyn and Ted Crus Should Allow a Vote on D.C. Circuit Court Nominees
• Progress Texas: Why Courts Matter Homepage
• Progress Texas: Federal District Court Judge - Part of Texas Abortion Law Unconstitutional
• Progress Texas: Government Shutdown Could Close Federal Courts