President Obama has withdrawn the nomination of Caitlin J. Halligan, a prominent New York lawyer, to serve on an important federal appeals court in Washington, blaming Republicans for blocking her confirmation twice.
The president formally notified the Senate of his decision on Friday, after Ms. Halligan requested that her name be withdrawn from consideration. The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit is widely viewed as the most important federal appellate court because it reviews many cases on the government’s authority.
“I am deeply disappointed that even after nearly two and a half years, a minority of senators continued to block a simple up-or-down vote on her nomination,†Mr. Obama said in a statement. “This unjustified filibuster obstructed the majority of senators from expressing their support. I am confident that with Caitlin’s impressive qualifications and reputation, she would have served with distinction.â€
Earlier this month, the Senate fell nine votes shy of the 60 needed to cut off debate and hold a vote on her confirmation, as lawmakers voted largely along party lines, 51 to 41. The same thing happened in December 2011, when lawmakers voted 54 to 45 against advancing her nomination.
Republican said they opposed Ms. Halligan’s nomination to the appeals court because of what they saw as her history of legal activism, including what Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the minority leader, called a “dubious legal theory†that gun manufacturers could be held legally responsible for criminal acts committed with their guns.
Democrats said that Republicans were interested mainly in stalling any appointments by Mr. Obama to the influential court, which has four vacancies on its 11-member bench. They said that Republicans could not point to a single case of judicial activism on Ms. Halligan’s part.
Ms. Halligan, 46, is the general counsel for the Manhattan attorney general’s office. She was nominated for a seat on the federal appeals court bench that became vacant when John G. Roberts, Jr. joined the Supreme Court. The seat has been vacant since 2005.
