The US Senate is today preparing to confirm one of President George W. Bush's long-stalled judicial nominees.
First nominated by Mr Bush four years ago, the Republican-led Senate is expected to finally approve Texas Supreme Court Justice Priscilla Owen for a seat on the 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals.
A confirmation vote was assured as part of a bipartisan deal reached yesterday night by 14 moderate lawmakers to avert a historic showdown over a possible rule change.
Republicans had threatened to strip Democrats of their power to block Mr Bush's most conservative judicial nominees.
Democrats had vowed to retaliate by raising other obstacles that could have tied the 100-member Senate into knots.
The vote on this "nuclear option," so named because of the destruction it would have done to Senate bipartisanship, had been expected today.
The compromise provided enough senators on both sides - seven Democrats and seven Republicans -
to enforce the terms. Their "memorandum of understanding" declares that procedural filibusters against judicial nominees will only be used in the future "under extraordinary circumstances".
A simple Senate majority is needed to confirm a nominee, but 60 votes are required to cut off a filibuster.