Senate Confirms Record-Breaking 235th Biden Judge, Surpassing Trump’s First-Term Record
Special Poll
In a landmark moment, the U.S. Senate has confirmed President Joe Biden’s 235th judicial nominee, outpacing the record of 234 judges confirmed during Donald Trump’s first term. This milestone underscores the significant impact Biden’s administration has had on shaping the federal judiciary.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) celebrated the achievement on Friday following the confirmation of Serena Raquel Murillo as a district judge for the Central District of California. “This is historic!” Schumer exclaimed on the Senate floor. “We have now confirmed more judges under President Biden than any majority has confirmed in decades.”
The numbers speak volumes. Biden has successfully appointed one Supreme Court justice, Ketanji Brown Jackson; 45 appellate court judges; 187 district judges; and two International Trade Court judges. Impressively, two-thirds of these appointees are women, two-thirds are minorities, and nearly half are minority women. Schumer highlighted that one in every four active judges on the federal bench has been nominated by Biden and confirmed by the Democratic majority in the Senate.
Diversity and professional breadth have been hallmarks of Biden’s judicial appointments. Schumer pointed out that the administration has broken away from the traditional pool of judicial candidates, often limited to corporate lawyers or federal prosecutors. Instead, Biden’s nominees include civil rights lawyers, public defenders, federal prosecutors, voting rights experts, labor lawyers, and even teachers.
“For too long, judicial appointments prioritized a privileged and narrow set of experiences,” Schumer noted. “But we cast a wider net, ensuring the judiciary better reflects the American people.”
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) credited the administration’s efficiency and diligence in preparing candidates for confirmation. Despite starting with fewer vacancies than Trump, Biden’s team achieved a record-breaking 235 confirmations. “This accomplishment exceeded our greatest expectations,” Durbin said.
For perspective, Trump’s administration confirmed 234 judges in four years. In comparison, President Barack Obama saw 170 confirmations over eight years, and President George W. Bush secured 204 during his two terms.
This achievement highlights not only a shift in the federal judiciary’s composition but also a significant political victory for the Biden administration. The confirmed judges are poised to leave a lasting legacy on critical issues such as civil rights, consumer protections, and voting laws, affecting generations to come.