Democrats advance 5 more Biden judicial nominees

Five more of President Biden’s judicial nominees have advanced out of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday, bringing the total number of federal court appointments confirmed by Senate Democrats to 220. With hopes of adding to that number before the Thanksgiving holiday, Democrats are pushing to confirm as many nominees as possible before the new Senate majority takes over.

Despite Republican opposition to some of Biden’s nominees, a number of appointments were confirmed after GOP senators missed votes. President-elect Trump has accused Democrats of trying to “stack the Courts” with radical appointees and has urged Republicans to “Show Up and Hold the Line.” Trump took to Truth Social to voice his disapproval, stating, “No more Judges confirmed before Inauguration Day!”

The nominees that advanced on Thursday include Anthony Brindisi, Elizabeth Coombe, Sarah Davenport, Tiffany Johnson, and Keli Neary, who have been nominated to various U.S. District Courts across the country. Additionally, Miranda Holloway-Baggett has been nominated to be the United States Marshal for the Southern District of Alabama.

In a bipartisan agreement reached late Wednesday, Senate Republicans agreed to allow Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to hold votes on four district court judges in exchange for pulling four higher-tier circuit court judicial nominees. This deal will enable Trump to fill the higher court vacancies while Democrats confirm judges to the lower courts.

The Senate is set to vote on cloture for several nominations this week, including Noel Wise and Gail A. Weilheimer, and will vote on confirmation for District Court Judge Sharad Desai for Arizona. The deal comes after Senate Republicans initiated a slowdown through procedural maneuvers on Monday, led by incoming Republican Majority Leader John Thune, in response to Schumer’s efforts to expedite judicial confirmation votes.

Despite the agreement, GOP senators are still expected to oppose and vote against the Democrat-nominated judges as they have done throughout Biden’s term. The Senate will reconvene after Thanksgiving to continue the confirmation process for these judicial nominees.

In conclusion, the confirmation of judicial nominees remains a contentious issue in the Senate, with both parties vying for control over the federal courts. The upcoming weeks will be crucial as the Senate works to confirm additional judges before the change in majority.