Senate Set to Approve President Biden’s 200th Federal Judge, Outpacing Trump’s Pace
The Senate is on track to approve President Joe Biden’s 200th federal judge next week, surpassing former President Donald Trump’s appointments at this point in his term. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has already moved 197 judges across the Senate floor and is set to confirm Biden’s 198th nominee, Seth Robert Aframe, for an appeals court seat on the 1st Circuit.
Schumer has also filed cloture on two other nominees for district court seats in Arizona, indicating they will likely be approved next week. These nominees received bipartisan support in the Judiciary Committee last month, highlighting Schumer’s ability to navigate the confirmation process in a closely divided Senate.
Biden’s rapid pace of judicial appointments has been a significant achievement for his administration. At this point in his presidency, Barack Obama had confirmed 147 judges, while Biden surpassed Trump’s 193 appointments back in April. Despite Democrats being locked out of a Supreme Court majority, Biden has focused on diversifying the federal bench by appointing female and minority judges.
However, Schumer faces challenges in moving forward with some nominees, particularly due to the absence of Sen. Bob Menendez for his corruption trial and Sen. Joe Manchin’s pledge not to support nominees without bipartisan backing. In a Senate controlled by a single vote majority, every vote counts, especially for more controversial nominees.
While the majority of Biden’s judges have received bipartisan support, some controversial nominees have faced scrutiny. Michael Delaney was forced to withdraw his appeals court nomination due to concerns over his handling of a sexual assault lawsuit, and Adeel Mangi is facing opposition from at least three Democrats for his association with an “anti-police” group.
The elimination of the judicial filibuster has expedited the confirmation process for Biden’s nominees, as well as the inability of senators to block nominees from their home states as they could with blue slips until 2017. Overall, Biden’s efforts to reshape the federal judiciary have been a key focus of his administration and will have lasting implications for the legal landscape in the years to come.
