President Joe Biden is not wasting any time fulfilling his promise to diversify the federal courts. His latest is the confirmation of the first Black woman judge to ever serve on the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals—a decidedly conservative-leaning court, as Reuters reports.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Dana Douglas of Louisiana was voted in by the Senate 65-31. She will serve on the New Orleans-based federal appeals court and is only the fourth active Democratic appointee among the 12 judges, all nominated by GOP presidents.
“On behalf of 92 affiliates and the Urban League movement, we send our sincerest congratulations to Dana on this historic confirmation. We know she will bring new insight to the court that it has not yet had. We look forward to seeing her take on this new role,” the National Urban League said in a statement Wednesday.
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The New Orleans Tribune reports that in a surprising move, both Republican Louisiana senators, Bill Cassidy and John Kennedy, voted to confirm Douglas.
“Judge Douglas’ confirmation to the Fifth Circuit is undoubtedly historic, but she additionally has the experience, temperament, and integrity to also be a historic judge on the Fifth Circuit,” said Rep. Troy Carter, the only Black member of Louisiana’s congressional delegation. “I was proud to recommend her appointment to President Biden and applaud the Senate on her successful confirmation. Congratulations to Judge Douglas on this momentous achievement. This is a wonderful day for Louisiana and our entire nation.”
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Sen. Cassidy also released a statement after Douglas’ confirmation. “Judge Douglas will serve with honor and integrity. She has the judicial temperament, education, and legal experience to sit on the Fifth Circuit Court. This is a wonderful day for Judge Douglas and her family,” the senator wrote.
This is the same Sen. Cassidy, who, during an interview with Politico for the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health series Public Health on the Brink, diminished the disproportionate maternal mortality rates in Black Americans, specifically in his home state.
“About a third of our population is African American; African Americans have a higher incidence of maternal mortality. So, if you correct our population for race, we’re not as much of an outlier as it’d otherwise appear,” Cassidy said, adding, “Now, I say that not to minimize the issue but to focus the issue as to where it would be. For whatever reason, people of color have a higher incidence of maternal mortality.”
So I guess Douglas is some exception to the rule in Louisiana, “for whatever reason.”
Racist, clueless senators aside, Biden didn’t only get Douglas to the federal court; according to Reuters, the president has won the historic appointment of 11 Black women federal appellate judges. In fact, the Senate has confirmed 97 of Biden’s judicial nominees, most of them women or people of color.
On Monday, the Senate endorsed Delaware Supreme Court Justice Tamika Montgomery-Reeves to the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Montgomery-Reeves was voted in 53-35, making her the first Black person to serve on both the Delaware Court of Chancery and the Delaware Supreme Court, Delaware Public Radio reports.
“We are glad that a strong bipartisan majority of Senators voted to confirm Justice Tamika Montgomery-Reeves to the federal bench. Her outstanding legal acumen, compassion, and trailblazing efforts make her a truly outstanding judge for the Third Circuit. All Americans are fortunate to have someone of Justice Montgomery-Reeves’ integrity, intellect, and work ethic on one of the highest courts in the land. Her confirmation also ensures that the Third Circuit comes closer to truly representing the diversity of our people,” Sens. Tom Carper and Chris Coons wrote in a joint statement after Montgomery-Reeves’ confirmation.