Courtney Bublé

Judiciary Still Operating as Shutdown Starts Despite a federal government shutdown that began on Oct. 1, the Judiciary remains open and will continue paid operations through Friday, Oct. 17, by using court fee balances and other funds not…

Update from the federal judiciary on the shutdown---it has two weeks more of funding than initially thought (new deadline is Oct. 17)

www.uscourts.gov/data-news/ju...

NEW: Grassley and Collins say OMB has released funds for the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee, following their calls for such the other day

In non-shutdown news, Trump Lindsey Halligan to be the full-term US attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia
www.congress.gov/nomination/1...

When you go to DOJ's website there's a notice on top blaming the Democrats for the shutdown

The top Rs on the Senate Appropriations and Judiciary committees are trying to prevent OMB from effectively shuttering the independent agency for federal watchdogs

OMB response below

www.law360.com/articles/239...

Sens. Collins & Grassley urged OMB on Monday to release appropriated funds for inspectors general

"Any adverse consequences will be solely due to OMB’s decision not to apportion available funds, rather than any lapse in appropriations"

www.collins.senate.gov/imo/media/do...

Fed. Courts To Operate If Shutdown Hits, But Limits Are Possible - Law360 If the government shuts down, the federal courts will operate as usual through Friday — after which judicial activities could be limited, depending on the availability of funds.

How a shutdown would impact the courts/DOJ:

www.law360.com/articles/239...

Pence Group Backs 7th Circ. Pick Attacked By Conservatives - Law360 Former Vice President Mike Pence's organization has come out in support of Seventh Circuit nominee Rebecca Taibleson following attacks against her from other conservative groups.

Former VP Mike Pence's org, Advancing American Freedom, has come out in support of Seventh Circuit nominee Rebecca Taibleson following attacks against her from other conservative groups

www.law360.com/articles/239...

Coalition Urges Senate To Block Bills Threatening DC Law - Law360 More than 270 individuals and organizations, including law firms, bar associations and advocacy groups, on Thursday urged the Senate to reject two House bills that they say would usurp the judicial…

New: 270+ individuals and orgs, including law firms, bar associations and advocacy groups today urged the Senate to reject two House bills that they say would usurp the judicial selection process in DC and the independence of DC's AG

www.law360.com/articles/239...

Sen. Kennedy just introduced a companion bill to get rid of DC's Judicial Nomination Commission

On the list of 48 nominees subject to the new Senate rules for confirmation is a local DC judge nominee (Edward Aloysius O’Connell for the DC Superior Court)

There are NOT other judicial nominees

www.congress.gov/bill/119th-c...

House Votes To End DC Judicial Nominations Commission - Law360 The U.S. House of Representatives voted 218-211 along party lines on Wednesday to eliminate the commission that vets and picks potential judicial nominees for Washington, D.C.'s local courts.

www.law360.com/articles/238...

The Judicial Nomination Commission members wrote to Congress last week in a letter I obtained that the judicial nom process in DC "is one of the best nonpartisan processes in the country," which Trump "engaged in" during his 1st term and has continued to in his 2nd

Story tk

The House voted 218-211 tonight, along party lines, to terminate commission that vets and picks potential judicial nominees for DC's local courts

7th Circ. Pick Shrugs Off Conservative Group's Opposition - Law360 During her confirmation hearing on Wednesday, Rebecca Taibleson, a federal prosecutor in Wisconsin tapped for the Seventh Circuit, fended off opposition to her nomination from conservative groups,…

Today Rebecca Taibleson, a federal prosecutor in Wisconsin tapped for the 7th Circuit, fended off opposition to her nomination from *conservative* groups

Sen. Johnson, R-Wisc., who introduced her at the hearing, told me "I completely disagree" with the criticism
www.law360.com/articles/238...

Story here:

Confirmed that USMS under this CR would get $30M for *executive branch* security and I have some interesting (at least I think) deets on how that works
law360.com/articles/238...

Grassley started to open the Senate Judiciary Cmt hearing and Kennedy immediately interrupted to wish him a happy bday

Kennedy says Grassley's bday cake has so many candles "it looks like a prairie fire"

Grassley thanked him then said "maybe we can get down to work"

Retired Judges Speak Out On 'Threats' To Constitution - Law360 More than 40 retired federal judges appointed by presidents of both parties released an open letter Wednesday, the anniversary of the signing of the Constitution, saying they sought to underscore the…

New this morning: 40+ retired federal judge signed onto an open letter for Constitution Day, sounding the alarm on attacks to the rule of law and judicial independence

I spoke with two of the judges about their specific motivations for signing on ⤵️

www.law360.com/articles/238...

The CR text just released includes increased funding for USMS and SCOTUS

Summary: appropriations.house.gov/sites/evo-su...

Text: appropriations.house.gov/sites/evo-su...

The House Oversight Cmt will hold a hearing on 9/18 @ 10am with DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, Council of the District of Columbia Chair Phil Mendelson and DC AG Brian Schwalb, per notice that just went out

More than 500 threats have been made to federal judges over the last year to over 300 distinct judges, according to recent data from USMS

www.law360.com/pulse/articl...

US Attorneys, Judicial Noms Advance Amid Senate Tensions - Law360 Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, faulted Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., on Thursday, for getting in the way of efforts by him and Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., the committee's ranking Democrat, to expedite the confirmation of U.S. attorney nominees. 

Sen. Chuck Grassley, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, faulted Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on Thursday, for getting in the way of efforts by him and Sen. Dick Durbin to expedite the confirmation of U.S. attorney nominees.

The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee advanced, on party lines, a bill that would abolish the commission in Washington that vets and picks potential judicial nominees for the district's local courts. www.law360.com/artic...

MAYOR BOWSER sent this letter to the House Oversight Cmt today on the DC bills it’s marking up

She says the bill to abolish the DC judicial noms commission would make DC “less democratic”

Welch, a Dem on the Senate Judiciary Committee, voted for Kyle Dudek's confirmation to the Middle District of Florida yesterday. Demand Justice just released the following statement condemning that:

NEW: U.S. District Judges Cathy Seibel (SDNY) and Jane Boyle (NDTX) will assume senior status later this year. Both were appointed by George W. Bush.

Grassley next makes what he says is a "modest request" to allow UC votes on US attorney noms voted out of the Senate Judiciary Committee via voice vote (for Iowa & Minnesota)

Schumer objected again

Grassley again tried to get 10 US attorneys confirmed via UC

Schumer objected

Trump Nominates 3 To Be DC Superior Court Judges - Law360 President Donald Trump has nominated three people to serve on the District of Columbia's local courts, bringing the district one step closer to easing its vacancy crisis.

News re: DC courts:

1) Trump sent 3 noms for the Superior Court to the Senate this week (chipping away at vacancy crisis )

2) Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Texas, introed a bill yesterday to terminate the JNC (the DC commission that picks noms for the DC courts)
www.law360.com/articles/238...

Ex-Pandemic Office Inspector General Tapped To Be US Atty - Law360 Brian Miller, the former special inspector general for pandemic recovery, has been quietly tapped to be a U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.

News: Brian Miller, the former inspector general for pandemic recovery, was quietly nominated to be U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania

He served in the WH counsel’s office in the first Trump admin and before that was GSA IG

www.law360.com/articles/238...