Biden passes 200th judicial confirmation milestone as election looms
May 22 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden surpassed a milestone 200th appointment to the federal judiciary on Wednesday as the U.S. Senate confirmed two more of his nominees, exceeding his Republican predecessor Donald Trump's pace even as the clock ticks toward their Nov. 5 election rematch.
Reaching this number at this point in his presidency is evidence, according to Biden's allies, that he may achieve a goal his fellow Democrats not long ago fretted could be out of reach - matching Trump's tally of 234 judges appointed to life-tenured positions on the federal bench in four years in office.
Challenges in confirming judicial nominees in the Senate, where Democrats hold a slim 51-49 majority, had left Biden behind Trump's pace at the start of this year. In fact, Democratic Senator Dick Durbin, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee that reviews such nominations, had previously called reaching the 200 mark a year-end goal.
Instead, Biden reached the 200 milestone on Wednesday when the Senate voted 66-28 to confirm U.S. Magistrate Judge Angela Martinez as a federal district court judge in Arizona and then hit 201 when the chamber voted 50-44 to confirm California state court Dena Coggins as a federal district judge.
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/biden-secure-200th-judicial-confirmation-election-looms-2024-05-22/
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