On The Bench: Week of June 6, 2024

The Senate made no progress on judicial confirmations this week. The Senate is now scheduled to be out until the evening of June 11. At this time, there have been no cloture motions filed on any Article III nominees.

On Wednesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing for 4 Article III nominees: Magistrate Judge Embry Kidd (11th Cir.), Magistrate Judge Adam Abelson (D. Md.), Magistrate Judge Joseph Saporito Jr. (M.D. Pa.), and Judge Meredith Vacca (W.D.N.Y.). The nominees are now eligible for a full committee vote. If confirmed, Judge Vacca would be the first ever person of color to serve as a federal judge on the Western District of New York.

As of June 6, there are 69 Article III vacancies, 45 of which are current. Once the latest nominees are officially nominated, there will be 27 pending nominees: 10 waiting for floor votes, 9 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 8 waiting for hearings before the Committee. To date, 201 Article III judges have been confirmed during the Biden-Harris Administration.