President Joe Biden has marked a significant milestone with his 235th judicial confirmation.
According to AP News, President Joe Biden recently celebrated his 235th judicial confirmation, surpassing his predecessor Donald Trump by one and setting a record not seen since the Jimmy Carter administration.
This achievement includes the latest confirmations of two district judges in California, finalized on Friday with the organization of votes by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat from New York.
These confirmations are notable as they contribute to a broader initiative under Biden's administration focusing on diversity and professional variety. Serena Raquel Murillo, one of the appointees, will serve as a district judge in the Central District of California.
About two-thirds of the judges appointed under Biden are women, a significant portion of whom are also people of color. This shift towards inclusivity also extends to the professional backgrounds of the appointees, which now more commonly include public defenders and civil rights lawyers.
President Biden expressed his commitment to this approach, stating, “When I ran for President, I promised to build a bench that looks like America and reflects the promise of our nation. And I’m proud I kept my commitment to bolstering confidence in judicial decision-making and outcomes.”
Under Biden’s tenure, more district judges have been confirmed compared to Trump, though fewer circuit court judges. Specifically, Biden confirmed 45 circuit court judges against Trump’s 54. This pattern of appointments comes as the judiciary has faced numerous challenges and pivotal decisions on issues including abortion, affirmative action, and federal regulatory powers.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer highlighted the ramifications of these diverse appointments. “I'm very proud of this milestone, not because of the number alone, but because of what the number means. It means our bench is now far more balanced in its experiences, expertise, and qualifications than four years ago," Schumer said.
Republican and Democratic senators have voiced starkly different perspectives on the qualifications and ideological orientations of Biden’s judicial nominees. Senator Ted Cruz, a Republican, critiqued the selections: “One of the consequences of the age of Trump is that it drove Democrats insane and it drove them to the extreme left, so they put people on the bench who were selected because they were extreme partisans.”
The confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first African American woman on the Supreme Court, stands out as a highlight of Biden’s tenure.
Lena Zwarensteyn from The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights remarked on the importance of diversity in the judiciary. “For our federal judiciary to deliver equal justice for all, it has to be for all, and that is one reason why we certainly applaud this administration for prioritizing both professional and also demographic diversity,” Zwarensteyn noted.
As the torch is passed to an upcoming Republican-led Senate, challenges loom large. Senator Charles Grassley, a Republican, suggested that Republicans will use their control to influence judicial confirmations aggressively.
“They learned a lesson from the first Trump administration. Paying attention to the number of judges you get and the type of judges you put on the court is worth it,” and “Let me assure you, by January 20th of 2029, Trump will be bragging about getting 240 judges,” Grassley forecasted.
The battle over the judiciary promises to intensify as political factions seek to reshape or maintain the landscape created by their predecessors. The unfolding narrative will undoubtedly bear significant ramifications for the American judicial system, reflecting deeper societal and political currents.
