ACS Welcomes New Judicial Nominations and Calls on the White House and Senate to Ramp up Judicial Confirmations

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Nancy Rodriguez, media@acslaw.org

Washington, DC – The White House announced a new tranche of six judicial nominees today. In total, the Biden-Harris administration has appointed 136 Article III judges, with 25 nominees pending in the Senate and today’s six soon to be pending. And yet, as the data released today by the American Constitution Society in its “Look Ahead” analysis demonstrates, even with today’s tranche, the Biden-Harris administration is on track to fall behind the confirmation pace of the previous administration by the end of 2023.

“We are glad to see the White House announce six more nominees for the federal bench. The confirmation of diverse, qualified judges who are committed to the rule of law and to vindicating our fundamental freedoms could be one of the Biden-Harris administration’s most enduring and impactful legacies,” said ACS President Russ Feingold. “And yet, recent months have seen an alarming decline in the pace of both nominations and confirmations to the federal bench. At a time when our courts are arguably having a more profound impact on our lives than Congress, it is imperative that the White House and Senate ramp up their efforts to fill every federal court vacancy with a diverse, qualified judge. Today’s tranche of six nominees is a promising start, and we hope it is soon met with further nominations before the summer is up.”

“Senators Schumer and Durbin have said they are prioritizing judicial confirmations, and we have seen what is possible when they do,” said ACS Vice President for Strategic Engagement Zack Gima. “They are now in a make-or-break moment. Will they use every tool at their disposal and work with the White House to fill as many judicial vacancies as possible, or will nominees be left on the table and vacancies left open at the end of 2024? To help ensure maximum confirmations, we are urging Senators Schumer and Durbin to expand the Senate calendar and to scrap what remains of the Senate’s blue slip tradition.”

Read the analysis: "Judicial Nominations - A Look Ahead" »

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AMERICAN CONSTITUTION SOCIETY
The American Constitution Society is a 501(c)3 non-profit, non-partisan legal organization. Through a diverse nationwide network of progressive lawyers, law students, judges, scholars, advocates, and many others, our mission is to support and advocate for laws and legal systems that strengthen our democratic legitimacy, uphold the rule of law, and redress the founding failures of our Constitution and enduring inequities in our laws in pursuit of realized equality. For more information, visit us at www.acslaw.org or on Twitter @acslaw.