'Dear Harry, Don't Shut Down Senate Business...' -- GOPUSA

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'Dear Harry, Don't Shut Down Senate Business...'
By Susan Jones
CNSNews.com Morning Editor
April 19, 2005

(CNSNews.com) -- In a letter to Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said he is "greatly concerned" about Democrats' threats to shut down Senate business.

"A government shut down would be rash and unwise, and the American people deserve better from us than such an act, which is surely inconsistent with 'working together,'" McConnell wrote in the letter, dated April 18.

Sen. Reid previously has said that both sides should "work together" on the judicial nominations process. But Republicans say it isn't happening.

Democrats refuse to budge on ten of President Bush's conservative judicial nominees. Their filibuster (in name only) is preventing the full Senate from voting yes or no on the ten nominees.

In response, Republicans want to change Senate rules, something that would allow the ten nominations to come before the Senate for a full vote - and probable confirmation.

Democrats strongly oppose the Senate rule change, calling it a Republican "power grab." They say the ten judges they're blocking represent the "extremist right-wing agenda."

In his letter, McConnell urged Reid to "reconsider" a Senate shut down, given all the important work to be done; he mentioned an energy bill, a highway bill, and reforms to the tax code and Social Security.

"Instead of shutting down the government, I urge you to work with the Majority Leader to repair our broken judicial confirmation process," McConnell said.

A vote on changing Senate rules is expected to happen next week.

Conservative Christian leaders call it one of the most important votes in U.S. history, given the way activist judges, in their view, are bypassing the will of the people to impose a liberal agenda.

"It is important that the judiciary not become the most powerful branch of our government," said the Rev. Donald E. Wildmon, chairman of the American Family Association, in a message to supporters.