Senate Republicans are in a last-ditch sprint to confirm as many of President Trump’s judicial nominees as possible before Democrats assume control of the chamber in January, aiming to cement a conservative legal legacy while they still hold the gavel.
GOP leaders have already pushed through 56 Article III judges during Trump’s second term and are racing to confirm up to 25 more before the new Congress convenes, according to Senate Republican Conference data. The final roster includes four appellate court picks and 21 district court nominees, with Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) vowing to keep senators in session as long as necessary. “We’re going to make the most of the time that we’ve got,” Thune told the New York Times.
Clock Ticks on GOP’s Judicial Pipeline
Democrats’ imminent takeover threatens to freeze Trump’s judicial appointments for the remainder of his presidency, with the opposition party poised to control confirmation schedules starting in January. “If the Senate doesn’t do this now, it’s unlikely President Trump will be able to fill these positions in the next Congress,” warned Judiciary Committee member Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT).
Thursday’s marathon session included votes on Gregory Carl Cook’s confirmation to Alabama’s Northern District and procedural motions advancing two appellate nominees: Daniel Desmond Domenico (10th Circuit) and Anna St. John (5th Circuit). Earlier this week, the Judiciary Committee approved four district court candidates—three along party lines—despite Democratic complaints about rushed vetting processes.
Blue Slip Battle in Texas
The nomination fight turned especially acrimonious over two Texas vacancies, where Republicans moved forward with nominees after Democrat James Talarico flipped a Senate seat in November. Trump nominated former Texas Supreme Court Justice James Sullivan and ex-DOJ official Elliot Gaiser for district court posts, sidestepping the traditional “blue slip” review by home-state senators. Talarico hasn’t yet been seated to weigh in.
Judiciary Committee Chair Chuck Grassley (R-IA) accused Democrats of planning unprecedented obstruction: “Some Democrats so despise President Trump that for the first time in our nation’s history they’re planning to stonewall a president’s ability to appoint judges.” Top Democrat Dick Durbin (D-IL) fired back, alleging Republicans are cutting corners to confirm “unqualified MAGA loyalists” before losing power.
Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) acknowledged bypassing standard Texas nominee review protocols for Gaiser, pledging to scrutinize his record before final confirmation votes. With Democrats able to drag out procedural votes, GOP leaders face mounting pressure to maintain unity and keep weary senators in Washington through the holidays.
The confirmation blitz follows Trump’s historic first-term judicial appointments—234 federal judges including three Supreme Court justices—that reshaped the judiciary with a 6-3 conservative Supreme Court majority.
Source: www.dailywire.com — https://www.dailywire.com/news/senate-gop-races-to-confirm-trump-judges-before-democrats-take-control