Washington D.C. – As the clock ticks on the time remaining in this Congressional session, People For the American Way is unveiling a new feature on its website that tracks actual days and working days left in the session and number of judicial nominees awaiting confirmation by the Senate. Today, the number of total days left stands at 50, with only 31 working days left, 26 nominees currently awaiting final confirmation votes, and more to be reported out by the Senate Judiciary Committee. You can see the feature here: https://www.pfaw.org/justice/time-is-running-out-confirm-fair-minded-judges/
“President Biden, Senate Majority Leader Schumer and Judiciary Committee Chair Durbin have done a great job nominating and confirming diverse, highly qualified judges who are committed to civil rights,” said People For the American Way President Svante Myrick. “But we need to see that progress continue so that the Senate confirms all the nominees on the Senate floor by the end of the year. It will be a sprint, but we know they can do it.”
“We are so proud of the great work that President Biden, Majority Leader Schumer and Judiciary Committee Chair Durbin have done for our courts and our country,” said People For the American Way Executive Vice President Marge Baker. “We have 147 great new judges on the bench thanks to these leaders. They know, and we know, that the calendar is a relentless taskmaster when it comes to finishing the work of the Senate this session – so that’s why now is the time to prioritize getting all the remaining nominees over the finish line. We can do this; it’s vitally important for our justice system and our country.”
Of the judges awaiting confirmation on the Senate floor after having had confirmation hearings and committee votes, the majority are people of color, and the majority are women. Biden judges have set a new standard for demographic and professional diversity; among the 147 judges confirmed, 65% are people of color, 33% are Black, 67% are women, and 42% are women of color. We have also seen historic numbers of nominations and confirmation of civil rights lawyers and public defenders.
People For the American Way notes that with time running out to confirm judges this year, President Biden and Leader Schumer have fallen behind Trump and McConnell on numbers of judges confirmed at this point in a presidency. Precise numbers are listed in the confirmation countdown feature and will be updated. It’s urgent to keep up the pace of confirmations to ensure we can rebalance our courts and seat judges who will uphold rights for all of us, not just the wealthy and privileged.
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About People For the American Way
People For the American Way, a national progressive advocacy organization, inspires and mobilizes community and cultural leaders to advance Truth, Justice and the American Way. We convene courageous Americans, produce compelling media and organize campaigns to defend our democracy from authoritarian threats and advance America’s promise that everyone will enjoy freedom, safety and a vote that counts. Learn more: http://www.pfaw.org