Senate Agrees to Votes on Two District Court Nominees

Paul Grimm

This evening the Senate scheduled a vote on Monday for Paul Grimm, nominee to the United States District Court for the District of Maryland.  Beginning at 5 p.m. on Monday there will be up to 30 minutes of debate on his nomination, so he will likely receive a confirmation vote at or shortly before 5:30 p.m.  Grimm was nominated on Feb. 16, 2012, and he has been pending for 289 days, despite facing no substantive opposition. 

Michael Shea

This evening the Senate also entered into an agreement to vote on Michael P. Shea, nominee to the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut, “at a time to be determined by the Majority Leader, in consultation of the Republican Leader.”  Thirty minutes of debate will precede the vote.  Though an exact date and time for the vote has not yet been scheduled, agreements like these are somewhat common, and the Senate typically sets a vote soon after entering into such an agreement.  Shea was nominated on Feb. 2, 2012, and he was reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee on a bipartisan vote of 15-3.  

In addition to Grimm and Shea, there are 17 other nominees awaiting votes on the Senate floor, all of whom the Senate could—and should—have voted on months ago.