As of Feb. 14, 2011, 67 of Barack Obama’s judicial nominees had been confirmed by the Senate. As of Feb. 14, 2019, 85 of Donald Trump’s judicial nominees had been confirmed by the Senate. As of Feb. 14, 2023, the incumbent president and his Senate allies can boast about having surpassed both of these totals. NBC News reported on the confirmation of President Joe Biden’s 100th federal judge.
On Monday, the Senate confirmed Cindy Chung to the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, making her the first Asian American to serve on that court. On Tuesday, the Senate voted 54-45 to make Gina Méndez-Miró a district court judge in Puerto Rico; the nomination passed a key test vote that indicates she has the necessary support to be confirmed and will become Biden’s 100th confirmed judge.
For Democrats, part of the goal was to create a more diverse federal judiciary, and there’s no doubt that they’re succeeding: Of the 100 confirmed jurists, 76 are women, and 68 are people of color.
What’s more, as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer was eager to emphasize yesterday, the Democratic-led Senate has also confirmed more public defenders to appeals courts than any in history.
But just as notable is the overall numerical count: As we’ve discussed, the Biden White House has emphasized judicial nominees to a degree without modern precedent, and the narrow Democratic majority in the Senate has clearly recognized the significance of the issue.
For Republicans, this is a disaster, not only because Democrats are pushing back against the campaign to move the judiciary to the far-right, but also because there’s very little GOP lawmakers can do to stop the Democratic majority from continuing to confirm judicial nominees. Unlike much of the Obama era, when Republicans could still use filibusters to derail would-be jurists, the current rules give the Senate majority party the power to move these nominees to the floor quickly and efficiently.
Indeed, let’s note for context…
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