Senate votes to confirm judicial nominees

The Senate confirmed three judicial nominations on Thursday.

The Senate confirmed Lydia Griggsby by voice-vote to be a judge of the U.S. Court of Federal Claims.

{mosads}Gregory Stivers was confirmed by voice-vote to be a U.S. District Judge for the Western District of Kentucky.

And Joseph Leeson was confirmed on a 76-16 vote to be a U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) said Leeson would be an “outstanding” addition to the court. Most of the opposition to Leeson came from Democrats.

The Senate is considering nominations while it waits for House legislation to keep the government funded past Dec. 11, to extend tax breaks for one year and to authorize defense spending.

With Republicans taking control of the upper chamber next year, Democrats are more motivated than ever to clear as many of Obama’s executive and judicial nominations as possible before adjourning for the year. Nearly 100 nominations are still pending on the executive calendar.

The Senate also voted to end debate on the nominations of Jeffery Baran to be a member of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Lauren McGarity McFerran to be a member of the National Labor Relations Board, and Ellen Dudley Williams to be director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy at the Department of Energy.

Their confirmation votes are expected Monday evening.