Senate confirms 40 judges during Biden’s first year in office, the most since Reagan

The Senate has confirmed 40 judges in the first year of President Biden’s term, the most since former President Reagan’s first year in office.

“This morning Senate Democrats confirmed the 40th judge nominated by President Biden to serve lifetime appointments on the federal bench, the most in a president’s first year in the last forty years,” Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said in a statement. 

“These judges will bring sorely-needed diversity to the judiciary: not just demographic diversity, but also professional diversity, adding to the breadth and width and depth of knowledge possessed by the courts,” he added.

According to Schumer’s office, this year the Senate confirmed its first LGBTQ woman to serve on any of the federal circuit courts, its first Korean American woman as a federal appellate judge and first Muslim American federal judge.

By comparison, former President Trump had 18 federal judges confirmed in his first year in office and former President Obama had just 12.

Reagan, who was inaugurated in 1981, was the last president to have 40 judges confirmed in his first year in the White House.

“One big difference:  – 3 of Reagan’s 40 judicial confirmations were women.  – Under @POTUS, 30 of the 40 judges confirmed were women,” White House chief of staff Ron Klain tweeted.

One big difference:
– 3 of Reagan’s 40 judicial confirmations were women.
– Under @POTUS, 30 of the 40 judges confirmed were women. https://t.co/Li2wdz497A

— Ronald Klain (@WHCOS) December 18, 2021