February, 05 2010, 11:43am EDT
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Drew Courtney or Josh Glasstetter,Phone: 202-467-4999,Email:,media@pfaw.org
GOP Obstruction on Nominations Reaches New Low
According to media reports, Richard Shelby has placed a blanket
"hold" on all executive branch nominations in an effort to secure
federal spending in his state.
WASHINGTON
According to media reports, Richard Shelby has placed a blanket
"hold" on all executive branch nominations in an effort to secure
federal spending in his state.
"Senator Shelby's move is deeply cynical and an abuse of
Senate procedure," said Michael B. Keegan, President of People For the
American Way. "The American people deserve a functioning
government, but Senator Shelby would rather hobble important agencies that keep
us safe and provide important services than risk losing some pork barrel
projects for his own state. Conservative commentators have slammed
Democrats negotiating deals that pale in comparison to this. I hope
they'll be aggressive in pointing out Senator Shelby's behavior,
but I'm not holding my breath."
Senator Shelby is angry about the Pentagon's bidding process for
air-to-air refueling tankers and funding for a research center to be built in
his state. His hold effectively blocks votes on more than 70 executive
branch nominees, including officials in the Army, Air Force, Department of
Defense, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice and Department
of State.
"To block votes on U.S. Attorneys, key positions in the armed
forces, and nominees tasked with overseeing the disposal of radioactive waste
in order to wring a few more dollars from the federal government in dangerously
irresponsible," said Keegan. "Senator Shelby is doing an
immense disservice to all Americans, including his own constituents. When
voters voice their anger about the gridlock and partisanship in Washington, this is
exactly what they're talking about."
Keegan pointed out that Senator Shelby's extreme efforts to grab
more federal dollars for his state could lead some to call him a Fiscal
Conservative In Name Only.
"He'd better watch out," said Keegan.
"Carly Fiorina's sheep may want to have a few words with
him."
People For the American Way works to build a democratic society that implements the ideals of freedom, equality, opportunity and justice for all. We encourage civic participation, defend fundamental rights, and fight to dismantle systemic barriers to equitable opportunity. We fight against right-wing extremism and the injustice it fosters.
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U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday announced that he is commuting the sentences of nearly 1,500 Americans and pardoning 39 people convicted of nonviolent crimes, a move the White House described as "the largest single-day grant of clemency in modern history."
But the president's sweeping use of his clemency power as his term nears its conclusion did not appear to extend to any of the 40 men currently on death row—some of whom have been there for decades.
According to a White House fact sheet, those who received commutations "have been serving their sentences at home for at least one year under the Covid-era CARES Act," a law that extended the amount of time in which people could be placed in home confinement to reduce the spread of the virus in prisons.
The White House did not name those who received pardons or commutations but said the list includes a "decorated military veteran," a "nurse who has led emergency response for several natural disasters," and "an addiction counselor who volunteers his time to help young people find their purpose."
The Biden Justice Department paused federal executions in 2021, but President-elect Donald Trump pledged on the campaign trail to expand the use of the death penalty and is expected to allow the executions of the 40 men on death row to take place if they're still there when he takes office next month.
In a statement on Thursday, Biden said that he has "the great privilege of extending mercy to people who have demonstrated remorse and rehabilitation, restoring opportunity for Americans to participate in daily life and contribute to their communities, and taking steps to remove sentencing disparities for non-violent offenders, especially those convicted of drug offenses."
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Biden, who campaigned on ending the death penalty at the federal level, vowed to "take more steps in the weeks ahead" as his administration reviews clemency petitions, leaving open the possibility of commutations for death row prisoners.
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