Amplify: Democratic Success in Rebalancing Federal Courts
A recent New York Times article highlighted an underappreciated accomplishment of the Democratic Party.
In a narrowly divided Senate, where one defection can derail a nomination, Democrats have successfully filled more than 25% of the federal judiciary during the Biden-Harris Administration. The 213th federal judge of the Biden-Harris era was just confirmed by the Senate. It’s part of an effort to rebalance the federal courts after former President Trump was able to name 234 mainly conservative judges to the federal bench.
These Biden-Harris appointments are judges that could serve for decades, making critical decisions throughout the federal judiciary. These nominations are also bringing a desperately needed diversity of backgrounds and experiences to the bench:
64% are women
40% are women of color
40 served as public defenders
14 served as civil rights lawyers
8 served as labor lawyers
Why It Matters:
The courts have a profound impact on public policy in our country and on individual lives.
These impacts rarely make headlines, but they shape our society in profound ways.
This rate of judicial appointments will come as a surprise to some activists who have been worried about the pace of Senate confirmations.
