Obama Picks for D.C. Appeals Court Face Uphill Battle

The vacancy-studded Washington, D.C., federal appeals court got three new potential judges nominated to it Tuesday, but whether they'll make it past Congress is an open question. President Barack Obama named two lawyers and a judge on Tuesday to sit on the powerful Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, which hears challenges to federal regulations, and as he did, he pleaded with Congress for up-or-down votes on them and accused the GOP of obstruction. "They have a constitutional duty to promptly consider judicial nominees for confirmation," Obama said. Obama's picks for the court: Former Clinton Justice Department official and current Georgetown Law professor Nina Pillard, former Justice Department lawyer and current appeals lawyer Patricia Ann Millett and federal trial court Judge Robert Wilkins. The trio might not make it to the bench, however, as Republicans argue that the court has enough judges already and accuse Obama of trying to pack it to advance his agenda.

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