The U.S. Senate confirmed President Trump’s 150th judicial nominee Wednesday, helping to fulfill the president’s campaign promise to remake the federal bench with a conservative bent.
Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham called the number of confirmations a “historic milestone.”
“These conservative judicial appointments will impact our nation for years to come,” the South Carolina Republican said.
Six district court nominees won confirmation Wednesday, bringing the president’s total number of appointed judges to the lower federal courts to 105. Mr. Trump has also appointed 43 circuit court nominees and two Supreme Court justices since taking office.
The pace has far outdone President Obama, who only saw 20 circuit court nominees and 74 district court judges confirmed during the same period of time. Mr. Obama, though, like Mr. Trump had two Supreme Court appointments within his first three years.
Liberal advocacy groups said the 150th judicial confirmation is alarming, stressing the need to make judicial nominees and the courts a 2020 campaign issue.
“As of today’s confirmation votes, Trump and McConnell have confirmed 150 judges to the federal bench — a group that can overwhelmingly be described as narrow-minded and elitist, favoring corporations and the powerful over the interests of all Americans,” said Marge Baker, executive vice president of the People for the American Way.
• Alex Swoyer can be reached at aswoyer@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.