The 18½ Minute Gap: Filibuster Scorecard

April 10, 2005

Filibuster Scorecard

There's a lot of mis- (and dis-)information going around about filibusters of judicial nominees.
Sen. Pat Leahy offers this list of nominees filibustered by Republicans in the past 35 years:

Year Nominee Position Cloture Motions

1968 Abe Fortas Supreme Court 1

1980 William Lubbers NLRB 3

1980 Don Zimmerman NLRB 3

1980 Stephen Breyer 1st Circuit Court 2

1987 Melissa Wells Ambassador 1

1987 William Verity Commerce 1

1993 Walter Dellinger Justice 2

1993 Five State Department Nominees 2

1993 Janet Napolitano Justice 1

1994 Larry Lawrence Ambassador 1

1994 Rosemary Barkett 11th Circuit 1

1994 Sam Brown Ambassador 3

1994 Derek Shearer Ambassador 2

1994 Ricki Tigert FDIC 2

1994 H. Lee Sarokin 3rd Circuit Court 1

1995 Henry Foster Surgeon General 2

1998 David Satcher Surgeon General 1

2000 Marsha Berzon 9th Circuit Court 1

2000 Richard Paez 9th Circuit Court 1

Year	Nominee	Position	Cloture Motions
1968	Abe Fortas	Supreme Court	1
1980	William Lubbers	NLRB	3
1980	Don Zimmerman	NLRB	3
1980	Stephen Breyer	1st Circuit Court	2
1987	Melissa Wells	Ambassador	1
1987	William Verity	Commerce	1
1993	Walter Dellinger	Justice	2
1993	Five State Department Nominees	2
1993	Janet Napolitano	Justice	1
1994	Larry Lawrence	Ambassador	1
1994	Rosemary Barkett	11th Circuit	1
1994	Sam Brown	Ambassador	3
1994	Derek Shearer	Ambassador	2
1994	Ricki Tigert	FDIC	2
1994	H. Lee Sarokin	3rd Circuit Court	1
1995	Henry Foster	Surgeon General	2
1998	David Satcher	Surgeon General	1
2000	Marsha Berzon	9th Circuit Court	1
2000	Richard Paez	9th Circuit Court	1

The filibusters against Fortas, Brown, and Foster were successful.