U.S. Senate Republican Leader Bill Frist says he has the votes needed to change Senate rules and overcome promised Democratic Party filibusters. Frist told the Washington Times in an interview published Monday, the threat of filibusters by Democratic members of the Senate kept many judicial nominees of President Bush from getting a vote. Since the Republicans had a majority of members, the nominees likely would have won Senate support if there had been a vote. “We need top restore the 200-year tradition and precedent of allowing every nominee of the president who has majority support an up-or-down vote on the floor of the United States Senate,” Frist, of Tennessee, said. He has not said, however, that he would absolutely move to change filibuster rules. “The specific decision has not been made. I’ve got some pretty clear alternatives to use and, again, I’ll just continue to appeal to the other side,” he said. © Copyright 2005 by United Press International

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