Main Justice: Shelby Lifts Holds on DOJ and Other Nominees
Main Justice is reporting today that Sen. Richard Shelby of Alabama withdrew most of his holds on presidential nominees late last night:
Shelby’s office announced late last night that the senator would drop his “blanket hold” on more than 70 nominees pending on the Senate Executive Calendar. A hold is when a senator — often anonymously — lets it be known he would oppose a unanimous consent request to bring a particular bill or nomination to the Senate floor.
Main Justice confirms that the reason for Shelby’s holds was pork projects:
The Alabama senator had held up the more than 70 nominees since Thursday over concerns he has about a tanker contract that could bring 1,500 jobs to Mobile, Ala., and over funds he is requesting to build an FBI counterterrorism center in his state. Northrop Grumman is vying to win the tanker contract, and if successful, would assemble the planes in Mobile.
Shelby's tactics remind me of something other than pork that is found in barnyards.
