NEW: Democrats advance seven Biden judicial nominees with GOP support amid Feinstein absence

[In It to Win It]

Democrats advance seven Biden judicial nominees with GOP support amid Feinstein absence

WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats advanced seven of President Joe Biden's judicial nominees through committee Thursday with Republican votes, shelving others that lack bipartisan backing with Sen. Dianne Feinstein absent.

The move by Senate Judiciary Chair Dick Durbin, D-Ill., marks a change in course after he had repeatedly delayed meetings since early March to advance a package of judges, lacking the decisive vote of Feinstein, D-Calif., who is out indefinitely on medical leave.

“We wish our colleague, Sen. Feinstein, a speedy recovery and return,” Durbin said. “We hope she’ll be back in the Senate very soon. Today’s agenda includes a number of judicial nominees who have been sitting on the agenda for some time. Some have bipartisan support. There’s nothing to prevent us from calling and voting on these nominees today.”

The panel voted to advance Mónica Ramírez Almadani and Wesley Hsu to be district court judges in California; Jeffrey Irvine Cummings and LaShonda Hunt to be district court judges in Illinois; Michael Farbiarz and Robert Kirsch to be a district court judge in New Jersey; and Orelia Eleta Merchant to be a district court judge in New York.

Link to tweet

[SharonClark]

1. All nominees in blue states. Was that part of Durbin's strategy?

[In It to Win It]

2. Yup. Blue state judicial nominees are low hanging fruit

Those are the easiest to get through since district court nominees still go through blue slips.

Blue state Biden nominees will have the support of their blue-state senators.

[Tom Rinaldo]

3. This is good news. But Republicans seem to be guarding their control of some Appeals Courts

It is common knowledge that some District Appeals Courts have Conservative majorities while others are more Liberal. In an increasing era of "judge shopping", Republicans challenge laws they want to overturn in jurisdictions that ideologically lean toward them. Then, assuming they get the ruling they want there, even if other more liberal judges from a different circuit issue a conflicting decision, Republicans are almost assured of having the case reach the Supreme Court, with it's Conservative super majority.

So my guess is that all or almost all of the appointments lacking bipartisan support are for court seats within Conservative circuits.

[In It to Win It]

4. That's what they need Dianne Feinstein there for

No blue slips are needed for circuit court nominees, and therefore, they don't need to have Republican support for circuit court nominees. However, that's assuming that all Democratic senators are there in the Judiciary Committee and in the full Senate so that they can be pushed through even if there is no GOP support.

The district courts still require blue slips so for red state nominees, they would Republican support there. The blue state district court nominees are the low-hanging fruit. Generally, they're the easiest to push through.

[Pantagruel]

5. Put her on a gurney

and wheel her in!!

[PortTack]

6. I don't know her current situation, I know she has shingles, but if she can she should come via

Wheelchair for those votes.