Tue Nov 12 19:12:41 UTC 2024: ## Senate Democrats Race to Confirm Biden Judges Before GOP Takes Control

**WASHINGTON, D.C. -** With Republicans set to assume control of the Senate on January 3rd, Democrats are pushing to confirm as many of President Biden’s judicial nominees as possible before the end of the year. The goal is to fill vacancies that could otherwise be filled by President Trump, should he win the 2024 election.

The Senate will vote today on the confirmation of April Perry, a former prosecutor nominated by President Biden to serve as a U.S. district court judge in Illinois. This marks the first judicial confirmation vote since Trump won the 2020 presidential election.

In total, Biden has announced 31 judicial nominees awaiting Senate confirmation. While some Republicans have criticized the push to confirm these nominees, Democrats argue that it’s crucial to ensure a diverse and qualified federal judiciary.

“We are going to get as many done as we can,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.

Trump appointed 234 judges during his first term, shifting the judiciary further to the right. Biden, in contrast, has appointed numerous liberal judges, including Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. Two-thirds of Biden’s judicial appointees are women, and a similar share are racial minorities.

Republican Senator Mitch McConnell, who consistently opposed Biden’s nominees, has not commented on the recent push for confirmations. However, some Trump allies, including Elon Musk and Mike Davis, have voiced their opposition, calling for a halt to the process.

Senator Joe Manchin, an independent who caucuses with the Democrats, has stated he would not vote for any nominee without at least one Republican vote.

Despite these challenges, Biden’s allies are optimistic that they can confirm the remaining nominees, solidifying his legacy of diversifying the federal bench.

The push to confirm these nominees will continue until the end of the year, marking a final act in a protracted political battle over the makeup of the federal judiciary.

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