General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: It's not ageism or sexism. It's the judiciary. Why Dianne Feinstein must resign. Now. [View all]onenote
(46,177 posts)Feinstein missed votes from February 27 - March 27 and then from April 17 until May 4. Those are the only days the Senate was in session for voting. During that period, 21 of Biden's nominees were confirmed by the Senate, more than during any comparable period during Biden's time in office. So her absence hasn't slowed things up. And while its true that around 9 percent of authorized judgeships are vacant, more than half of those seats are vacant because President Biden hasn't nominated anyone.
There are 15 District Court judicial nominees that have been approved by the Judiciary Committee, but Schumer hasn't brought to the floor for a vote. As noted, the Senate, with a 51-49 Democratic majority, has not had problems confirming nominees on the Senate floor, so its unlikely that Feinstein's absence is the reason for those nominees not having been brought to the floor. There are another 13 District Court nominees awaiting Judicial Committee approval. Four of those nominations were just made last week and haven't had a hearing yet. There are others that were made in March that haven't had a hearing (and Feinstein's absence doesn't prevent hearings from taking place), or only recently had a hearing (and there typically is a lag between the date of a hearing and when a nomination is voted on in Committee). There are at least three nominations that were made well before Feinstein became ill, but that haven't been voted on by the Committee. In some instances, Schumer is capitulating to Republican "blue slip" objections or there are issues on the Democratic side of the aisle about a couple of the nominees.
At the appeals court level, there are four nominees that have been approved by the Committee, but not brought to the floor for a vote. And there are three awaiting Committee action; two of those nominees were made in mid-April and are still waiting for a hearing (again, not delayed because of Feinstein's absence ).
So I ask again, which judges has her absence kept from being seated, keeping in mind that 21 have been seated and that there are 19 that have been approved by the Committee but that Schumer hasn't brought to the floor, even though during a part of her absence we had a 50-48 majority and, since McConnell returned, a 50-49 majority.
That's a fact.