White House Dismisses Trump’s Call To Halt Judicial Confirmations
The White House on Monday dismissed President-elect Donald Trump’s demand to halt judicial confirmations during the lame-duck session, as Senate Democrats move to push through nominees before Republicans take control in January.
Trump had criticized the Biden administration on Sunday for advancing judicial nominations while Democrats still hold a Senate majority. He posted on Truth Social, “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. THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE.”
White House pushes back on Trump call to halt confirmations in lame duck period https://t.co/7FegvsWUp2
— The Hill (@thehill) November 12, 2024
White House senior deputy press secretary Andrew Bates rejected Trump’s call, emphasizing the importance of maintaining the federal judiciary. “Regardless of party, the American people expect their leaders to prioritize the rule of law and ensuring the criminal justice system can function effectively in every state,” Bates said.
Bates also pointed to the precedent set by Trump’s own administration, which confirmed 55 judges during its lame-duck session in 2020. “There is no excuse for choosing partisanship over enforcing the rule of law,” Bates added.
Currently, 17 judicial nominees advanced by the Senate Judiciary Committee are awaiting floor votes. Senate Democrats aim to confirm as many of these nominees as possible before the new Congress begins. With Republicans set to hold at least 52 Senate seats in January, Democrats see this as their final opportunity to shape the judiciary under President Biden.
So far, the Democrat-led Senate has confirmed 213 of Biden’s judicial nominees, slightly fewer than the 234 judges confirmed during Trump’s first term. Senate Democrats are hoping to leverage GOP absences during the lame-duck session to push through stalled nominations. A senior White House official stated, “There is a push across the board from the White House and the Senate for Democrats to show up and do the job they were elected to do.”
The effort highlights the intense partisanship surrounding judicial confirmations and the high stakes for both parties in shaping the federal bench.