On The Bench: Week May 11, 2023

There was some progress on judicial nominations this week. The Senate spent a majority of its floor time on executive branch nominees. However, the Senate did invoke cloture on Bradley Garcia (D.C. Cir.), setting up a confirmation vote as early as next week. If confirmed, Bradley Garcia would be the first Latinx judge to ever serve on the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.

On Thursday, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a mark-up. With Senator Feinstein back in attendance, the Committee was able to successfully advance 6 Article III nominees: Charnelle Bjelkengren (E.D. Wash.), Magistrate Judge Kato Crews (D. Colo.), Judge Marian Gaston (S.D. Cal.), Jeremy Daniel (N.D. Ill.), Magistrate Judge Brendan Hurson (D. Md.), and Darrel Papillion (E.D. La.). All six nominees are eligible for cloture and confirmation votes.

As of May 11, there are 96 Article III vacancies, 72 of which are current. There are 35 pending nominees: 25 waiting for floor votes, 1 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 9 waiting for hearings before the Committee. To date, 126 Article III judges have been confirmed during the Biden-Harris Administration.