The Senate is set to approve President Joe Biden’s 200th federal judge next week, surpassing the pace of former President Donald Trump’s appointments at this point in his term. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has successfully moved 197 judges through the Senate, with Biden’s 198th nominee, Seth Robert Aframe, scheduled for confirmation as an appeals court nominee for the First Circuit on Monday.
Schumer has also filed cloture on two more nominees for district court seats in Arizona, likely to be approved next week after receiving bipartisan support in the Judiciary Committee. This rapid pace of judicial appointments is a milestone for the president, with Biden already surpassing Trump’s numbers from April. While Democrats may not have a Supreme Court majority, Biden and the Democratic Senate majority are shaping the federal courts by focusing on appointing female and minority judges.
However, challenges remain with the absence of Sen. Bob Menendez due to his corruption trial, and Sen. Joe Manchin’s pledge to only support nominees with bipartisan backing. In a closely divided chamber, Schumer needs every vote for more controversial nominees, including four circuit court picks approved by the Judiciary Committee without any GOP support.
Despite some controversial nominees, the majority of Biden’s judges have received bipartisan approval, with many confirmed by voice vote or with crossover support from centrist Republicans. The elimination of the judicial filibuster and changes to the blue slip process have expedited the confirmation process for judicial appointments.
