The Senate Judiciary Committee is quietly maneuvering to act on two of President Bush's appellate court nominees this summer, while a third nominee awaiting action on the Senate floor is slowly moving closer to a vote, Republican aides told HUMAN EVENTS today.

A GOP aide said the Judiciary Committee is moving toward a vote on William Haynes' confirmation to the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in July. But before the committee brings Haynes up for a vote, Chairman Arlen Specter (R.-Pa.) is likely hold a second hearing, at which time Haynes would be given the opportunity to defend himself from Democrat attacks for his role as general counsel at the Department of Defense. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R.-S.C.) has also drawn the ire of conservatives for his role with Haynes.

The Bush Administration, my source told me, is agreeable to a second hearing for Haynes, which would be comparable to nominee Brett Kavanaugh's follow-up hearing. By holding a second hearing and letting Kavanaugh defend himself, Specter was able to quell the Democrats' criticism. Kavanaugh later won confirmation on a 57-36 vote on May 26.

Another nominee, Michael Wallace, who was tapped by Bush for the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, is also slated to get his first hearing before the committee in July, the GOP aide told me. Wallace has come under attack for his "not qualified" rating by the American Bar Association, but Republicans have attributed the rating to political bias on the part of the ABA.

Meanwhile, the long-stalled confirmation of Terrence Boyle, a nominee for the 4th Circuit, appears to be moving closer to a floor vote -- more than a year after Boyle was discharged from the Judiciary Committee. A Republican aide told me that earlier this month Specter charged his staff with the task of conducting up to 15 special briefings for aides to all 100 senators about Boyle. Those meetings followed a White House briefing on Boyle.

The purpose of the meetings, the Republican aide said, was to clear up any questions about the alleged conflict-of-interest charges against Boyle raised by Democrats.

These developments come after weeks of pressure applied by conservative activists encouraging the Senate to take action on judicial nominees.