WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden is expected to win the 235th judicial confirmation of his presidency as soon as Friday, surpassing his predecessor’s total by one, after Democrats placed more emphasis on the federal courts as he filled three seats after Donald Trump’s long first term. to the Supreme Court
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has completed the nominations for two potential California district judges, likely the last judicial confirmations this year before Congress ends and paves the way for a new Republican-led Senate. He said he hopes to complete the votes by the end of Friday.
The first confirmation will tie Trump’s number, the second will break it. Next year, Republicans will already be looking to strengthen Trump significant impact on the completion of the federal judiciary in his second term.
Biden and Senate Democrats focused on adding women, minorities and public defenders to the judicial ranks. About two-thirds of Biden’s nominees are women and the majority of nominees are people of color. It was the most remarkable appointment Jackson Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brownthe first African-American woman to sit on the nation’s highest court.
“Prior to our effort, the number of women on the federal bench had actually decreased. They were mostly white men,” said Sen. Dick Durbin, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. “We made a conscious move to bring more women to the bench, and believe me, we had a great pool of talent to work with. Therefore, to bring in these new judges, I believe that the image of the court and its work product will be improved.”
Biden also emphasized bringing in more civil rights attorneys, public defenders and labor rights lawyers to expand career paths in the federal judiciary. More than 45 people are public defenders and more than two dozen served as civil rights attorneys.
While Biden confirmed more district judges than Trump, he had fewer high-level court appointments than Trump: 45 compared to 54 for Trump. And he got one Supreme Court nomination compared to Trump’s three. Republicans, to the frustration of Democrats, filled Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s seat. per week Before the 2020 presidential election. Ginsburg passed away in September.
Democrats also faced a 50-50 Senate confirmation challenge in both years. Barely a week went by in the current Congress when Schumer did not cast a vote on a judicial confirmation, with liberal groups urging Democrats to show the same urgency about the justices that Republicans have shown under Trump.
Some Senate Republicans were sharply critical of Biden’s choices. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said talk of diversity did not extend to the candidates’ views.
“One of the effects of the Trump era is that it drove the Democrats crazy and drove them to the extreme left, so they put people in office who were elected because they were extreme partisans,” Cruz said.
Pro-liberal groups have said they are happy with the number of judges the Democrats have won, but even more so with the quality of the candidates. They said diversity in personal and professional backgrounds improves judicial decision-making, helps build public confidence and encourages people from all walks of life to pursue legal careers.
“In order for our federal judiciary to provide equal justice for all, it must truly be for all, and that is certainly why we applaud this administration for prioritizing professional and demographic diversity as well,” said Lena Zwarensteyn, CEO. fair courts program, at The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights.
Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, and the incoming chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said Democrats have shown a new determination on judicial confirmations.
“They learned a lesson from the first Trump administration,” Grassley said. “It pays to look at the number of judges you get and the type of judges you put on the court.”
Part of the Democrats’ urgency came as they eyed the nation’s highest court turn over abortion protections, and the elimination of affirmative action in higher education weaken the federal government’s ability to protect the environment, public health, and occupational safety through regulations. The cases showed that the balance of power in Washington extends to the judicial branch.
Trump will inherit nearly three dozen vacancies, but that number is expected to rise as Republican-appointed judges retire, hoping to return a Republican to the post and choose a replacement.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., acknowledged that Democrats’ sense of accomplishment is somewhat muted by the knowledge that Trump will have another term to continue shaping the federal judiciary.
“I’m not ready to pop the champagne because we’ve done such a good job over the last four years,” Blumenthal said. “We have to be ready to work, hope for the best and try to defeat the candidates. Simply put, qualified. We have our work cut out for us. The outlook for the future is overwhelming.”
Grassley promised to work to best Biden’s number.
“I assure you, by January 20, 2029, Trump will boast of getting 240 judges,” Grassley said.
