The White House dismissed President-elect Donald Trump’s call to halt judicial confirmations during the lame-duck session, arguing that filling vacancies on the federal bench is essential for the rule of law.
Trump criticized the Biden administration on Sunday for pushing through nominations while Democrats hold a narrow Senate majority. “No judges should be approved during this period of time because the Democrats are looking to ram through their judges as the Republicans fight over leadership,” Trump posted on Truth Social.
White House senior deputy press secretary Andrew Bates pushed back on Monday, stating, “Regardless of party, the American people expect their leaders to prioritize the rule of law. Delaying the confirmation of strongly qualified, experienced judges takes a real-life toll on constituents and leads to backlogs of criminal cases.”
White House pushes back on Trump call to halt confirmations in lame duck period https://t.co/7FegvsWUp2
— The Hill (@thehill) November 12, 2024
Bates also noted that Trump’s administration confirmed 55 judges during its own lame-duck session after the 2020 election. “There is no excuse for choosing partisanship over enforcing the rule of law,” he added.
Seventeen judicial nominees advanced by the Senate Judiciary Committee are awaiting floor votes when lawmakers return from recess. Senate Democrats are aiming to confirm as many as possible before Republicans take control of the Senate with at least 52 seats in January.
The push underscores the stakes for both parties in shaping the federal judiciary. Democrats have so far confirmed 213 of Biden’s judicial nominees, short of the 234 confirmed during Trump’s first term. With time running out, the lame-duck session presents their final opportunity to cement Biden’s judicial legacy.
