In what’s become a proxy for debate over mass torts, U.S. senators are clashing again over the nomination of Motley Rice partner John McConnell Jr. for a seat on the federal bench.
McConnell won an 11-7 vote today by the Senate Judiciary Committee, largely along party lines, and his nomination for U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island now heads to the Senate floor. But he faces strong opposition from most Republicans because of his past involvement in state politics and in litigation against the lead-paint and tobacco industries.
