White House officially withdraws nominations of two judges, NHTSA director

The White House on Tuesday formally withdrew the nominations of two judicial picks and President Biden’s choice to lead the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) after each faced roadblocks to confirmation in the Senate.

Biden pulled the nomination of Michael Delaney to serve on the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, roughly two weeks after sources first indicated the president would do so.

Delaney’s nomination had been in limbo in the Senate Judiciary Committee, with Democrats unsure of his controversial handling of a sexual assault case at a boarding school in New Hampshire.

The New Hampshire attorney has come under fire for representing St. Paul’s School, an elite private high school in New Hampshire, against a lawsuit brought by female student who was sexually assaulted on campus when she was 15.  

Biden separately withdrew the judicial nomination of Jabari Wamble, who last week asked to be pulled out of consideration, citing the nearly two-year wait for action on confirmation.

Biden first nominated Wamble early in his administration to serve as a judge on the Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit. But Wamble did not receive a hearing, and his nomination stalled out.

In February, Biden nominated Wamble again, this time to serve as a district judge for the District of Kansas.

The White House additionally announced Tuesday the withdrawal of the nomination of Ann Carlson to serve as administrator of the NHTSA.

All 13 Republicans on the Senate Commerce Committee signed a letter in early May raising concerns over Carlson’s track record at the agency. The senators expressed fear she would follow the Environmental Protection Agency and set strict fuel economy standards intended to push Americans into buying electric vehicles.