1. United States
2. Ala.
3. Letter

As a result of the 2024 election, Democrats will not only lose control of the White House but also the Senate, meaning that Trump and Senate Republicans will regain total control over federal judicial appointments. During Trump’s first term, Republicans added 234 conservative-leaning federal judges, including three Supreme Court justices, to our federal court system. These judges with lifetime appointments “have taken on added importance in recent years as courts have played a greater role in American life as the adjudicators of disputes over hot-button issues like abortion, immigration and the environment.” While Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Dick Durban (D-IL) have prioritized counterbalancing the rightward shift of the court system by confirming as many of President Biden’s judicial picks as possible, 47 nominees still remain on the docket. Historically, the Senate halted consideration of judicial nominees after Election Day. However in 2020, “The Republican-led Senate also continued to hold votes on 14 of Trump’s judicial picks after he lost”, setting a precedent for Democrats to confirm the remainder of Biden’s nominees. It is imperative that the Senate act now to limit Trump’s ability to fill our judicial branch with more right-wing extremists who will continue to strip away our rights and democratic institutions. I demand you act swiftly to confirm as many of Biden’s judicial nominees as possible. We cannot allow Trump to fill these seats with more extremists who will continue to strip away our rights and democratic institutions.