President Joe Biden announced nine federal judicial nominees on Wednesday, pushing his first year total to 73. That’s one more than his predecessor, Donald Trump, nominated in his first year.
CNN explains:
For Biden and other Democrats, the filling of federal judicial openings took on a new level of significance in the wake of the historically successful push by Trump and Senate Republicans. Biden pledged during his presidential campaign not only to make nominations a priority, but also to pursue nominees who brought both personal and professional diversity to the bench.
According to a White House press release, Biden’s latest slate of nominees include “a nominee who would be the first Native American Article III judge in California,” “a nominee who would be the only active Hispanic judge on the Eastern District of New York,” “a nominee who would be the first LGBT Article III judge in Wisconsin” and “a nominee who would be the third AAPI woman judge to ever serve in the Central District of California.”
Describing Biden’s 73 picks for the federal bench, CNN reports:
The President’s selections have included 53 women, making up 73% of all judicial nominees, as well as 20 African Americans, 15 Hispanics and 13 Asian American Pacific Islander picks.
They also include 21 public defenders, 16 civil rights lawyers and five labor lawyers, as the administration has sought to elevate nominees with more diverse professional backgrounds.
Twenty-eight of Biden’s nominees have been confirmed this year.