President Joe Biden expressed gratitude to the Senate on Wednesday for confirming the 200th federal judge during his presidency, hailing it as “another milestone in the effort to protect the freedoms and liberties of all Americans.”
Earlier that day, the Senate cast a 66-28 vote to confirm Angela Martinez as a district court judge in Arizona.
“These judges are exceptionally well-qualified. They come from every walk of life, and collectively, they form the most diverse group of judicial appointees ever put forward by a president,” Biden wrote on Wednesday. “Judges matter. These men and women have the power to uphold basic rights or to roll them back.”
According to the White House, over 60% of Biden’s judicial appointees are women or people of color. Biden noted that these judges would be pivotal in decisions regarding women’s reproductive healthcare, voting rights, workers’ rights to unionize and earn a living wage, and children’s rights to clean air and water.
“There is more work to do,” Biden concluded. “Going forward, I will continue my solemn responsibility of nominating individuals who have excelled in their professional careers, who reflect the communities they serve, and who apply the law impartially and without favoritism.”
Biden reached his 200th judicial confirmation roughly one month before former President Donald Trump did so during his term.
Although Trump still leads Biden with a total of 235 judges and justices confirmed by the Senate, the White House frequently highlights the appointment of 13 Black women as circuit judges under Biden, the highest number in history, underscoring his administration’s focus on the judiciary.
