The pace was breathtaking. As congressional representatives clamored for face time in what looked like a suit-and-tie version of televised speed dating during the impeachment debate, things were moving even more rapidly in the U.S. Senate. Look at this — Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell moved forward another batch of President Trump’s judicial appointments.
Invoked, 90-1: Motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar #357 Stephanie Dawkins Davis to be U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Michigan
— Senate Cloakroom (@SenateCloakroom) December 19, 2019
Invoked, 91-2: Motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar #356 Gary Richard Brown to be U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of New York
— Senate Cloakroom (@SenateCloakroom) December 18, 2019
Invoked, 92-1: Motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar #383 Kea Whetzal Riggs to be U.S. District Judge for the District of New Mexico
— Senate Cloakroom (@SenateCloakroom) December 18, 2019
Invoked, 89-4: Motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar #354 Mary Kay Vyskocil to be U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of New York
— Senate Cloakroom (@SenateCloakroom) December 18, 2019
NOW VOTING: Motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar #536 Bernard Maurice Jones II to be U.S. District Judge for the Western District of Oklahoma
— Senate Cloakroom (@SenateCloakroom) December 18, 2019
Invoked, 51-42: Motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar #480 Daniel Mack Traynor to be U.S. District Judge for the District of North Dakota
— Senate Cloakroom (@SenateCloakroom) December 18, 2019
We could go on.
NOW VOTING: Motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar #466 Karen Spencer Marston to be U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
— Senate Cloakroom (@SenateCloakroom) December 18, 2019
And on.
4. Motion to invoke cloture on Exec. Cal. #490 John M. Gallagher to be U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of PA
5. Motion to invoke cloture on Exec. Cal. #536 Bernard Maurice Jones II to be U.S. District Judge for the Western District of OK— Senate Cloakroom (@SenateCloakroom) December 18, 2019
Invoked, 76-18: Motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar #465 Anuraag Singhal to be U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of Florida
— Senate Cloakroom (@SenateCloakroom) December 18, 2019
The Senate Leader told radio talk host Hugh Hewitt that he’s made Trump’s judicial appointments his top priority:
President Obama appointed 55 Circuit judges in 8 years. President Trump with our Senate confirmation has done 50 in 3 years. So the pace is dramatic. What these men and women have in common is they’re all young, they’re all smart. A heavy percentage of them have been Supreme Court clerks. They’ll be on the court for a very long time, and what they have in common is what Justice Scalia used to say – the job of a judge is to follow the law and the Constitution.
… [One] out of every four of the U.S. Circuit judges in the country have been put on the bench in the last three years. So we do believe with a second Trump term and a continued Senate Republican majority, we can transform the courts even further.
All of the judges receive lifetime appointments, so impeachment or no, Trump’s impact on the country will be felt for decades to come.
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