Durbin Celebrates Judges Confirmed To Dare During The Biden-Harris Administration

09.12.24

Durbin Celebrates Judges Confirmed To Dare During The Biden-Harris Administration

Durbin: "We will continue elevating jurists who are qualified, principled, and committed-above all-faithfully following the Constitution."

WASHINGTON - In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, celebrated one of the most important accomplishments of the Biden-Harris administration: the confirmation of highly-qualified, independent, and evenhanded judges to the federal bench. To date, the Senate has confirmed 208 judges to lifetime positions on the federal judiciary during Durbin's time as Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

"We have stayed on pace with the number of judges confirmed during the Trump Administration, even though we had the longest evenly-divided Senate in history and now have only a narrow majority," Durbin said. "These confirmations highlight the Senate Judiciary Committee and Biden-Harris administration's commitment to filling vacancies with highly-qualified, diverse candidates who will ensure the fair administration of justice. This is a historic slate of judges we have approved who will rule with reason and restraint. They respect the rule of law, adhere to precedent, and answer only to the Constitution."

Durbin went on to highlight the difference between judicial nominees confirmed under the Trump administration to the Biden administration.

"I have served on the Senate Judiciary Committee for more than two decades, including as Chair for the past three-and-a-half years. During that time, I have evaluated and voted on more than one thousand judicial nominees. The record is clear: President Biden's nominees to the federal bench represent the best," Durbin said. "Every single one of President Biden's 208 judges so far has received at least a 'Qualified' rating from the American Bar Association, an indication that their peers found them to be high in integrity, professional competence, and judicial temperament."

In comparison, during the Trump administration, Senate Republicans confirmed eight Trump nominees whom the American Bar Association found unqualified to serve on the federal bench.

Durbin then spoke about the professional and demographic diversity these 208 judges bring to the bench.

"We've made history in the Senate Judiciary Committee and in the Senate, confirming more Black women to the federal circuit courts than all prior Presidents combined. And, of course, we've confirmed the first-ever Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court: Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson," said Durbin. "With Hispanic Heritage Month beginning this weekend, I'd like to celebrate the historic nature of the Hispanic and Latino judges President Biden has nominated and we have approved. Just this week, we confirmed Jeannette Vargas to the Southern District of New York. During the Biden Administration, the Senate has confirmed 37 Hispanic judges, more than any other President in history… In my home state, Judge Nancy Maldonado became Illinois's first Latina federal judge and, more recently, the first-ever Hispanic judge to serve on the Seventh Circuit."

Durbin continued, "Beyond this demographic diversity, there is record-breaking professional diversity. In the past three years, we have confirmed more [former] public defenders as circuit judges than all prior Presidents combined… Another notable aspect of this record is that the vast majority-nearly 90 percent-of the federal judges approved during the Biden administration have been bipartisan. This includes almost three-quarters of appellate nominees."

Durbin concluded, "This focus on qualified, consensus nominees will go a long way toward restoring trust in our judiciary. The American people want judges who look like America and understand the American experience in all its forms. We will continue elevating jurists who are qualified, principled, and committed-above all-to faithfully following the Constitution. The American people deserve nothing less."

Video of Durbin's remarks on the Senate floor is available here.

Audio of Durbin's remarks on the Senate floor is available here.

Footage of Durbin's remarks on the Senate floor is available here for TV Stations.

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