Senate Dems and GOP strike a deal on judicial appointments for Trump and Biden

A deal struck earlier this week between Republicans and Democrats in the Senate will enable President Joe Biden to possibly outperform President-elect Donald Trump in terms of the number of federal judges appointed in each of their term in office. 

The trade-off is that Senate Republicans will allow Democrats to confirm 12-14 lower-level district court nominees without procedural delays, and Senate Democrats will not attempt to confirm four higher-level appeals-court judges, which will instead be saved for Trump to fill once he is in office. 

“It looks like the Biden administration is going to best the first Trump administration in terms of the amount of judges that are seated on the federal courts by the end of his term,” Devon Westhill, president and general counsel at the Center for Equal Opportunity said, according to the Washington Examiner. 

Senate Democrats have confirmed 220 of Biden’s federal judicial nominees, while Trump had 234 in his first term, according to the outlet.

So far Biden has confirmed 173 district court judges and 45 appeals court judges.

Meanwhile, Trump confirmed 174 district judges and 54 appellate judges during his first term. 

Regarding the Supreme Court, Trump appointed three justices and Biden one. 

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said Thursday that he wasn't sure if Biden appointing more judges would top the number of Trump's appointments.