Key Takeaways:
– The Democrats, led by Senator Elizabeth Warren, are rallying to confirm President Joe Biden’s judicial nominees before Republicans retake the majority.
– Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has shown willingness to push for more confirmations during the post-election session.
– President-elect Trump has issued a warning to Senate Republicans about the Democrats’ actions, which was countered by Biden’s White House spokesperson, Andrew Bates.
Urgent Call for Judicial Confirmations
As the current Congress session wraps up, the Democrats are hurrying to confirm the scores of President Joe Biden’s remaining judicial nominees. A federal judge appointment is a lifelong engagement unless impeachment occurs, offering the Democrats a critical chance to secure their democracy before the Republicans grab the power.
Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts is pushing her colleagues to make these confirmations a priority. She has urged that every moment of the remaining legislative session should be dedicated to the confirmation of federal judges.
Senate Majority Leader Shows Readiness
Chuck Schumer, the Senate Majority Leader, has demonstrated readiness to devote considerable Senate floor time to seat further judges in the post-election session. Around 30 nominees were lining up for confirmation, while President Biden continues to announce more nominees; two more were named last Friday.
“We are going to get as many done as we can,” Mr. Schumer stated recently.
Analyzing the Playing Field
As per journalist and attorney Chris Geidner, four appellate nominees are awaiting a full Senate vote, one is waiting for committee action. Recruiting new district court nominees is also an active process, with 13 awaiting full Senate vote, 10 in the committee phase, and two freshly announced.
Democratic Push Gather Support
Spokesperson for U.S. Senate Judiciary Chairman Dick Durbin, Josh Sorbe, shared that they aim to confirm every possible nominee before the session ends. The Illinois Democrat has also highlighted the confirmation of 213 highly qualified, diverse judges so far, demonstrating a functional and fair American justice system.
President-Elect Trump’s Warning
Despite these efforts, President-elect Trump warned Senate Republicans against approval of judges during this time. He condemned Democrats’ attempt to confirm their judges as Republicans wrestle over leadership, declaring such action unacceptable.
Countering Mr. Trump’s Warnings
Opposing Mr. Trump’s warning, Biden’s White House spokesperson Andrew Bates underlined the bipartisan precedent for confirming nominees even after a new president’s election. He stressed the urgency to avoid backlogs of criminal cases and keep the justice system operational. He further encouraged bipartisan cooperation, citing partisanship as a poor excuse in enforcing the rule of law.
Citing this precedence, Professor of Law Steve Vladeck mentioned how Republicans confirmed several of Trump’s judicial nominees, including Judge Aileen Cannon, during the lame-duck period after the 2020 election. Judge Cannon is about to mark her four-year anniversary on the federal bench.
Concluding Thoughts
Before the Republicans retake the majority, the Democrats are stretching their limits to secure their democracy by confirming as many of President Joe Biden’s remaining judicial nominees as they can. It remains to be seen how successful their efforts will be in these final weeks of the legislative session.