Chuck Schumer Cuts Deal With GOP To Confirm Some Of Biden’s Final Judges, Drop Others

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) struck a late-night bipartisan deal on Wednesday, accelerating votes on several of President Joe Biden’s judicial nominees while shelving others. The agreement, negotiated with independent Senators Kyrsten Sinema (Ariz.) and Joe Manchin (W.Va.), along with key Republicans, will streamline confirmation for nine district court judges once the Senate reconvenes after Thanksgiving. GOP senators agreed not to stall the process for these nominees.

Schumer plans to follow with votes on additional judicial candidates. The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced five district court nominees Thursday, with two more scheduled for hearings in December. If all proceeds as planned, Biden could see as many as 16 judges confirmed in the coming weeks, potentially raising his lifetime judicial confirmations to 236—surpassing the 234 achieved by former President Donald Trump in his first term.

However, Schumer conceded not to advance Biden’s four pending appeals court nominees as part of the deal. These higher-stakes appointments, including Adeel Mangi (3rd Circuit), Karla Campbell (6th Circuit), Julia Lipez (1st Circuit), and Ryan Park (4th Circuit), faced stiff Republican opposition and lacked the votes to pass. Schumer’s office defended the compromise, noting the focus on attainable victories. “The trade was four circuit nominees without the votes for over triple the number of district court judges confirmed,” a spokesperson said.

Progressive judicial advocacy groups criticized the agreement, calling the decision to abandon circuit court nominees unacceptable. “These nominees are vital for protecting Americans’ rights. We can’t allow Trump to fill these seats with extremists,” said Maggie Jo Buchanan of Demand Justice. Others echoed this sentiment, urging Democrats to fight harder to confirm all nominees before leaving office.

Meanwhile, Republican frustrations mounted over absences in their ranks, which have made it easier for Democrats to confirm Biden’s judges. Among those missing was Vice President-elect JD Vance, still serving as an Ohio senator. Vance admitted in a now-deleted tweet that he was occupied assisting Trump in selecting a new FBI director. This inadvertently confirmed Trump’s intent to replace current FBI Director Chris Wray, sparking criticism from Trump for not prioritizing Senate votes.

“The Democrats are stacking courts with radical left judges on their way out,” Trump warned on social media, calling for Republican senators to block confirmations. Hours later, Vance returned to the Senate and voted against one of Biden’s Oregon judicial nominees.