Why it Matters
The Senate Judiciary Committee will consider a bill to protect the free exercise of religion and six federal district judge nominations at a business meeting on Nov. 10. The meeting's recorded title is "Business Meeting To Consider S.5289, To Protect The Right To The Free Exercise Of Religion, And The Nominations Of ...," and the record says it will be "immediately followed by a hearing to consider pending nominations." The record does not state why the committee is taking up these items now.
The nominees are:
- Daniel Lewis Ballou, Eastern District of Kentucky
- Richard Wesley Bennett, Southern District of Texas
- Courtney Leigh Coker, Northern District of Texas
- Trevor Scott Pemberton, Northern District of Oklahoma
- Kyle Frederick Reardon, District of Alaska
- Zachary Paul West, Eastern District of Oklahoma
The committee's leaders on the record are Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Chair, and Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member.
Broader Context
The bill and the six nominations are on one agenda, so the committee will take them up at the same meeting. A committee's action is the first formal step in the Senate: a bill or nomination it reports moves to the full chamber, where it can be considered on the floor. Nominations to federal district courts originate with the President and require Senate confirmation.
The Bottom Line
Nov. 10 is the next scheduled step on the record for both the bill and the six nominees. If the committee reports the nominations, they become eligible for a full Senate vote. If the committee does not complete action at that meeting, the bill and the nominations remain pending before it.
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