The Senate confirmed another dozen U.S. district court nominees last night, giving President Obama 89 confirmations this year—for a total of 305 judges in his first six years.
How does that compare historically?
President George W. Bush confirmed just 32 district court and circuit court judges during his sixth year in office, according to data provided by Alliance for Justice, a progressive advocacy group focused on the federal judiciary. President Bill Clinton confirmed 65 judges in his sixth year. In total, Bush confirmed 256 district and circuit court nominees after six years in office, Clinton confirmed 302, and President Ronald Reagan confirmed 295.
Before 2014, Obama was
behind both Bush and Clinton in federal court nominations—despite the Democrats having controlled the Senate in all six years.
Filibuster reform—a wacky concept that a bunch of bloggers started pushing five years ago—is what allowed President Obama to reshape the federal judiciary. David Waldman—a.k.a. Kagro X on Daily Kos—had been organizing around this since 2009, when it became obvious that Republicans would refuse to give an inch. When the Daily Kos activism team launched its very first petition in August 2010, it was on filibuster reform—and 386,373 people on our e-mail list have taken action on this issue since.
On November 21, 2013—thirteen months ago—Senate Democrats finally answered our call and ended the filibuster for executive and judicial nominations. Forty-one senators could still block legislation from making the floor, but at least presidential appointments would get the courtesy of an “up-or-down” vote—and confirmation if a 50 percent-plus-one majority of senators approve. In other words, democracy.
But it’s not just a “process” victory. Here’s what Chris Bowers wrote at the time:
The result will be thoroughgoing, long-lasting change as the doors to the judicial branch of government are finally unlocked and thrown open to progressives. All the destructive court decisions we have recently suffered through on reproductive rights, on rights at work, on Citizens United, on the Voting Rights Act, on making the expansion of Medicaid optional to states and so much more—we now finally have a path to reverse all of that damage.
Last night, we witnessed the fruits of our labor—with a more progressive (
and diverse) judiciary.