Staff Reports
Senate Democrats confirmed their 100th district judge on Wednesday, an impressive feat that President Joe Biden can boast about, outpacing former President Donald Trump in the same area. Natasha Merle was the 100th confirmation for the Eastern District of New York, thanks to the Democrats’ “great success” in confirming highly qualified, diverse judges to lifetime appointments on the federal bench, according to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Richard Durbin. These dedicated jurists bring balance and impartiality to the courts, a significant improvement over the previous administration.
Senate Democrats confirm Biden’s 100th district court judge, outpacing Trump administrationhttps://t.co/JjjlKHw4Ke pic.twitter.com/HJCKFA291S
— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) June 22, 2023
The importance of a judicial system that can handle cases at earlier stages of litigation should not be overlooked, stated MSNBC in a supporting comment. It also pointed out that deferring to home-state senators on nominees raised the issue of blue slips, which was an obstructionist tactic already practiced by Senate Republicans. In fact, they had already blocked Democratic attempts to name a temporary replacement for Sen. Feinstein (D-CA) on the Judiciary Committee.
Sadly, obstructionist tactics by the Republicans and Sen. Joe Manchin’s (D-WV) continued opposition to Biden nominees have left the committee deadlocked, requiring Vice President Kamala Harris to intervene and cast a tiebreaker vote. Feinstein’s resignation will further exacerbate the situation, as it will take 60 votes to replace her on the Judiciary Committee. The odds of Mitch McConnell giving up a chance to block all Biden’s judges for the next year and a half are zero.
This situation is also relevant for the 2024 election, and any shifts in the Senate would lead to significant changes in the judicial nomination process, regardless of which president wins the next term in the next year. Therefore, it is crucial for the Democrats to maintain the necessary votes to continue the process of nominating highly qualified, diverse judges to lifetime appointments on the federal bench, where they can bring balance and impartiality to the courts.
Source: Conservative Institute
