response 102 of 154:

Mar 1 00:38 UTC 2006

(04-20-2005) 05:55 PDT WASHINGTON, (AP) --  Senate Majority Leader Bill
Frist pledged Tuesday that any effort by Republicans to ban Democratic
filibusters of President Bush's judicial nominees would not apply to
filibusters on legislation.

"There is no need for change in relation to legislative matters," Frist
said in a statement issued before GOP senators met for their weekly
policy meeting.

(Senate Democratic leader Harry) Reid suggested last week that getting
rid of the legislative filibuster could be Frist's next target if he
wins on the judicial filibuster. 

Deputy Majority Leader Mitch McConnell also said Republicans aren't
going to strike the legislative filibuster. "There is no one I know of
on our side who wants to get rid of the legislative filibuster," he said.

But the possibility concerns some conservative groups like the Gun
Owners of America and the National Right to Work Committee, which oppose
a judicial filibuster ban, saying a ban on legislative filibusters might
be next. They say Republicans have used legislative filibuster threats
to stop antigun and pro-union legislation and that weapon is too
important to lose.

But Frist's statement said he "will not act in any way to impact the
rights of colleagues when it comes to legislation" or try to change
Senate rules that "now provide many tools for members, and leaders, to
see legislative ideas brought to an up or down vote on the Senate floor."