{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/one-year-after-senate-rule-change-merkley-celebrates-confirmation-of-nearly-300-nominees", "One Year After Senate Rule Change, Merkley Celebrates Confirmation of Nearly 300 Nominees", "2014-11-21", "2014", "2014-11", "Democrat", "House", "OR", "Jeff Merkley", "M001176", "www.merkley.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "One Year After Senate Rule Change, Merkley Celebrates Confirmation of Nearly 300 Nominees \n\t\n\t\n\tFriday, November 21, 2014\n\t\n\tWASHINGTON \u2013 Oregon\u2019s Senator Jeff Merkley released the following statement celebrating the one-year anniversary of the rule change that allows nominations to be confirmed with a simple majority vote, as envisioned in the Constitution. In the year since the rule change, more than 290 nominees have been confirmed by the Senate.\r\n \r\n\u201cA year ago, our nation and our democracy were threatened by partisan obstruction that was packing our courts and preventing our agencies from doing their jobs. Thanks to this fight and to the historic rule change, there's\u00a0a cop on the beat to stand up for consumers against Wall Street, putting billions of dollars back in the pockets of ordinary consumers. A functioning National Labor Relations Board is giving workers across the country access to justice that otherwise would be denied.\r\n\u201cMoreover, providing a fair Senate vote on President Obama\u2019s nominees to fill three vacancies on the D.C. Circuit Court \u2013 the second most important court in the country \u2013 was crucial to restoring the Court\u2019s integrity. The Senate has also more than doubled the pace of votes on judicial nominations. Enabling these nominees to receive fair up-or-down votes will have profound effects on issues that affect Americans every day, from clean air to women\u2019s health to keeping Wall Street in check.\u00a0\r\n\u201cWith nearly 300 executive and judicial nominees confirmed this past year, we\u2019ve made a real difference and are breaking through the gridlock to help restore a government that works for working Americans.\u201d\r\n \r\n###\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n     \n\t\n \n\t\n    \n    \n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t  \n    \n\t\n\t\n\t  \n          \n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.merkley.senate.gov/news/press-releases/one-year-after-senate-rule-change-merkley-celebrates-confirmation-of-nearly-300-nominees"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.606697216629982, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}