Specter gains GOP members’ support for chairman

By Tom Strode - Nov 30, 2004 -

Republican pro-choice Sen. Arlen Specter apparently will gain the highly coveted Judiciary Committee chairmanship after a struggle.

Although no official vote will take place until Jan. 4, the other nine GOP members of the committee unanimously endorsed Specter Nov. 18. On the same day, Specter said in a written statement he “would not use a litmus test to deny confirmation to pro-life nominees.” He also said he had assured President Bush he “would give his nominees quick committee hearings and early committee votes so floor action could be promptly scheduled.”

The developments followed two weeks of turmoil in reaction to post-election comments by the Pennsylvania senator that were widely interpreted as a warning to Bush not to send the committee Supreme Court nominees who opposed abortion rights. A GOP limit of six years for committee chairmen will force Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah to step down, leaving Specter as next in seniority and the one by Senate tradition to take the post.

After Specter’s Nov. 3 remarks, several pro-life leaders campaigned against his ascension, and pro-life Americans flooded Senate offices with requests for his rejection as chairman.

“I’m disappointed that Senator Specter is going to be chairman,” said Richard Land, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission. “But I’m not surprised given the ways in which the senators of both parties tend to cherish, if not worship, seniority.

“However, I think it was very important for pro-life, pro-marriage Americans to make their objections known in the strongest possible terms. It has resulted in Senator Specter and his colleagues being sensitized to a new depth level of the pro-life and pro-marriage convictions of tens of millions of Americans. And it has also elicited from the senator some commitments that, if kept, will result in no Judiciary Committee obstructions to an orderly nomination and confirmation process. Do I believe that Senator Specter will keep his commitments? I intend to trust but verify.”

In his statement, Specter pointed out his opposition to the Democrats’ filibusters of several Bush appeals court nominees and said he would seek to stop such delaying tactics in the future. He also said he “would not support committee action to bottle up legislation or a constitutional amendment, even one which I personally opposed, reserving my own position for the floor.” Specter said during his successful re-election campaign this year he opposed a federal amendment to protect marriage as only between a man and a woman.

Specter’s written statement reportedly was released after he negotiated with Senate leaders and other GOP committee members about its content.

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