nina pillard. someone as we noted who has unanimously suggested for this job by the nonpartisan american bar association, someone eminently qualified, nine supreme court arguments, someone who has so much respect from those that she mentors from her colleagues, both democratic and republican. i see that the senator from connecticut is here. another member of the judiciary committee. thank you, mr. president. i yield the floor. mr. blumenthal: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from connecticut. mr. blumenthal: thank you, mr. president. i want to thank my colleague, an esteemed lawyer and prosecutor herself, for her service on the judiciary committee, her dedication to the quality of our courts and her bringing us together this afternoon to focus on a topic that i think perhaps is not uppermost on the minds of most americans, not something they worry about when they're bringing their kids to school or fixing dinner at night, but it shapes the quality of our society, it assures the rul

nina pillard is a stellar nominee. her work includes briefs in more than 25 supreme court cases. she drafted the federal government united states which after a 7-1 decision by the supreme court made history by opening the military institutes doors to female students but also expanded educational opportunity for women across this country. a father who loves his daughter and loves his three granddaughters i want to see us start paying attention to the fact that we have both men and women in this country and after what she did in virginia hundreds of women have had the opportunity to attend and go on to serve our country. the transition to coeducation was one of its finest hours and it was. indeed if somebody like this can bring it to the supreme court so they can have their finest hour. not only for women but men as well. she successfully represented a male employee in the state of nevada who was fired when he tried to take unplayed -- unpaid leave under the family medical leave act to care for his sick wife. filed -- fired by the same people who say we have to have family values.

has nominated three potential judges who will now basically be fast tracked, including professor nina pillard>> degrees from yale and harvard, worked at the solicitor general's office, argued nine cases in the supreme court, briefed numerous others. two years in the office of legal counsel at the justice department. >> reporter: but critics say there's no reason for the president to insist these nominees be approved as quickly as possible. across the country, there are four federal courts so lacking in judges there are "judicial emergencies," and the d.c. circuit court is not one of them. skeptics say pillard is out of the main stream. >> she's probably the most extreme judge that has been nominated for this court, possibly for any court in the country. she seems to view everything from the radical feminist perspective. >> reporter: senate democrats are expected to vote on all three nominations to the d.c. circuit when they return in december. this court has ruled on epa reg rations, the president's use of recess appointments and the hhs contraception mandate. >> listening to those reports, w

republicans filibuster these nominees, two in particular, patricia millett and robert wilkins and nina pillard. there are three. they are saying they will change the filibuster rules and deny the minority this tool in the u.s. senate. that would be a huge development, jay. >> it would be gigantic. it would cut against senate rules in history. the reality is with the senate democrats would have to realize when there is a republican president of the united states what are they going to do -- go back to the old rules? this is dangerous for the united states senate. the president, first of all, what's important here, the president's confirmation rate in just a few months will exceed what president bush got in his entire eight years in office. it's not like t not getting nominations through. most of them are getting through. very few are not. you look at the d.c. circuit. it's the second most powerful court in our country. it handles the regulatory issues out of washington, d.c. here is the problem. none of these are judicial emergencies. the president didn't declare an emergency. the d.c. judges a

georgetown law professor nina pillard would have been just the sixth woman to serve on the u.s. court of appeals for the district of columbia. she's also the third straight female nominee blocked by republicans. republicans had a past comments arguing that reproductive rights strengthen gender equality. several democrats say the move could prompt a new showdown over a senate filibuster rules. president obama has tapped government lawyer to met the cftc head.he if confirmed, he will replace gary gensler in january. a proposed merger between american airlines and us airways has one justice department approval, paving the way for what would be the world's largest airline. the airlines reached an agreement with federal regulators just two weeks before scheduled trial. under the deal, the two airlines would give up dozens of takeoff and landing slots at several major airports to lower-cost carriers. the pack still needs approval from the federal district court in d.c. in the judge overseeing americans in group c case. if approved, more than 70% of the airline passenger business would

and experience that is ideal for this court or any of the other circuit courts, you would pick nina pillard. i'm going to come back to the floor, i'm going to speak about her, i'm going to speak about this court, i'm going to speak about the gang of 14, and i'm going to speak about what should justify blocking a nominee of the president of the united states to serve in the courts. but for now let me just say about her, i hope that my colleagues will listen to her qualifications, to listen to her story and listen to the better angels of their natures. the present situation cannot stand, and if we continue on the present course, we will arrive at the same juncture that existed in may of 2005 when the gang of 14 helped to save the senate from a crisis. it would have been a crisis for the collegiality and civility of this institution, it would have been also a crisis for the country. and i hope that we can again avoid it. if we permit this process to move forward and recognize that there is no extraordinary circumstance for any of these nominees that should block their approval by the united st

. >> this week they blocked law professor nina pillard to serve on what. >> the d.c. certificate. >> what's the score? susan page 1,200 points, you defeated robert costa, you are the new reigning, champion still you get this mug. >> thank you so much. >> what has she won? >> as champion, will you have your name printed in exquisite sharpee on the up aglens the clock cup and show it off to friends, family an school children for exactly one woke. you will receive an appearance this coming woke on msnbc "the cycle" airing weekdays, 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. eastern time and play in our jock pot bonus round for today's grand prize of a $50 gift certificate to little pony, the most authentic eating experience in new york city's historic village. whoim there get a tattoo or a piercing. back to you, steve. >> thank you, bill. quite a prize. >> that mug looks fan taft ec. don't drink from it. susan, you have your jackpot bonus. in the 50 years since jfk's assassination, lumors and theories swirled about whether more than one maine was involved in the murder, all of that time, one ame

first it was caitlin halligan in march, then patricia millett last month, followed by nina pillard last week and now robert wilkins. each of them exceptional. every one of them distinguished nominees. each would be a credit to the court of appeals. so the number four and counting. in baseball, three strikes and you are out. not so in the senate. but this isn't just about the rules. it's about having a senate that works. not one that buckles under the weight of filibusters. the partisan games continue and the game has gone on long enough because the losers are the american people. senators merkley and harkin and i have proposed changes to the rules at the beginning of this congress, rules changes that were fair. they reined in the abusive, they protected the minority. we were very clear. we called for a talking filibuster. we argued that if the minority wants to continue debate, which is what voting against cloture is, they should actually have to stand on the floor and debate. come down here if you want to slow things down and get on the floor and debate. instead, a compromise was reach

. >> republicans staged a phil which buster on tuesday against the nom nation of nina pillard.he court is the second-most important gones the supreme court. pillard served in bill clinton's administration. it's the third nominee the party blocked. >> caroline kennedy is the new ambassador for japan, and was sworn in tuesday at the state department. it brings a third generation of the kennedy family into the american diplomatic corp. >> the united states and asia, japan is an important ally. >> caroline kennedy is the first female u.s. ambassador to tokyo. she heads for japan on friday. a major shift in thinking about colester cole. statens have been used to lower levels. now the nation's top heart doctors are changing course saying 70 million americans should take the drugs to reduce the risk of heart attack and strokes. we take a look at the new guideline. this yearam a million americans will have a heard atake. 80 million more are living with heart disease. there's a new treatment option on the table - staten trucks, sold under krestor and lipitor and zotor. >> there may be m

nina pillard is a stellar nominee. her work includes nine supreme court oral arguments, briefs in more than 25 supreme court cases. she drafted the government the federal government's briefing in united states versus virginia which made history by opening the virginia military institute's doors to female students, but also expanded educational opportunity for women across this country. as a father who loves his daughter and loves his three granddaughters, i want to see us start paying attention to the fact that we have both men and women in this country. and after what she did with the u.s. versus virginia, hundreds of women have had the opportunity to attend v.m.i. and go on to serve our country. the superintendent of v.m.i. when female cadets since called the transition to coeducation one of its finest hours and it was but it needed somebody lying this to bring it to the supreme court so they could have the finest hour. she's not only served for equal opportunities for women but men as well. in nevada versus hibbs sh

circuit, nina pillard. ms. pillard is a distinguished law professor at georgetown law university. she is also one of the most talented appellate attorneys in america. she served with distinction in the solicitors general office and in the justice department's office of legal counsel. she has argued nine cases before the supreme court of the united states. she has written briefs on many more, including u.s. v. virginia, the landmark equal protection case that opened the doors of virginia military institute to female students. there's no question that ms. pillard has the intellect, experience, and integrity to be an excellent federal court judge. she has received strong letters of recommendation from republicans and democrats, from law enforcement and law professors. now it's no secret that she is written a number of academic articles in which she argued for gender equality, that men and women be treated fairly and the same under the law in america. some find this radical thinking. most americans believe it should be the law of the land. but law professors are supposed to take part