President Joe Biden released the first judicial nominations of his presidency Tuesday, nominating 11 candidates to federal appeals and district courts.
“This trailblazing slate of nominees draws from the very best and brightest minds of the American legal profession. Each is deeply qualified and prepared to deliver justice faithfully under our Constitution and impartially to the American people — and together they represent the broad diversity of background, experience, and perspective that makes our nation strong,” Biden said in a statement announcing the nominations.
Reporters pressed White House press secretary Jen Psaki on when Biden would get started on filling judicial vacancies at Monday’s White House press briefing. Biden vowed on the campaign trail to nominate judges “who look like America,” and his first nominations reflect his administration’s emphasis on diversity. Nine of the nominees are women and several are non-white. (RELATED: Biden’s AG Pick Merrick Garland Confirmed With Bipartisan Support)
Once formalized, the nominees will head to the Senate for confirmation. Most federal judicial nominees go uncontested and pass through even the most divided Senates without much incident. Republicans have yet to respond to the list of nominees, however, and could pose a threat to judges they deem to be too radical.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell warned Senate Democrats not to abolish the filibuster, saying that he would use procedures to turn the Senate into “a 100-car pileup, nothing moving.” (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Biden is coming into office on the heels of an administration that prided itself on getting new judges onto the bench across the country. President Donald Trump filled an unprecedented 226 judicial vacancies in just four years. Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama took eight years to make 320 and 322 judicial appointments, respectively.
Biden nominated Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson for the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit; Tiffany Cunningham for the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit; Candace Jackson-Akiwumi for the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit; Judge Deborah Boardman for the United States District Court for the District of Maryland; Judge Lydia Griggsby for the United States District Court for the District of Maryland; Julien Neals for the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey; Judge Florence Y. Pan for the United States District Court for the District of Columbia; Judge Zahid N. Quraishi for the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey; Regina Rodriguez for the United States District Court for the District of Colorado; Margaret Strickland for the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico, and Judge Rupa Ranga Puttagunta for the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
This post originally appeared on and written by:
Anders Hagstrom
The Daily Caller 2021-03-30 13:38:00
