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(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."
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