‘A Quartet Of Solidly Conservative Judges’

Last Week Senate Republicans Conducted ‘A Circuit Court Confirmation Blitz’

PRESIDENT TRUMP: “Thanks to @SenateMajLdr McConnell and the @SenateGOP we are appointing high-quality Federal District... ...and Appeals Court Judges at a record clip! Our courts are rapidly changing for the better!” (@realDonaldTrump, Twitter, 11/1/2017)

• “‘We appreciate the hard work of’ Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley and McConnell, ‘and we urge the Senate to confirm all of the remaining nominees because it's what the American people deserve,’ White House deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley told Business Insider in an email.” (“McConnell Just Got A Bunch Of Trump's Judicial Nominees Confirmed In One Week,” Business Insider, 11/5/2017)

SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY): “the President is making spectacular appointments to these circuit courts. We're confirming them rapidly [and] transforming the third branch, the Judiciary, in a way that will reach far into the future because these nominees are young and they believe as Justice Gorsuch said when he was in my state last month, judges don't wear red and they don't wear blue, they wear black. And those are the kind of people the President is sending up.” (Fox News’ “Fox News @ Night,” 11/2/2017)

• SEN. McCONNELL: “Our effort to confirm qualified judicial nominees this year would not be possible without the tireless work and effective leadership of Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley.” (Sen. McConnell, Floor Remarks, 10/30/2017)

SEN. CHUCK GRASSLEY (R-IA) Last Week: “In the past two markups, we’ve reported out three excellent and well-qualified women to the Circuit Courts. … I look forward to advancing all the nominations to the [Senate] floor today. I believe each nominee is extremely well qualified and will serve with distinction.” (U.S. Senate, Judiciary Committee, Business Meeting, 10/26/2017)

“By close of business Friday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) will have added a quartet of solidly conservative judges to the federal Circuit Courts, those critical venues a step below the Supreme Court with final say on most litigation.” (“Mitch McConnell Finally Has Something To Brag About: Judicial Appointments,” Washington Post, 11/2/2017)

“The Senate confirmed two more appeals court picks Thursday, closing out a week that saw them devote all their time to filling the federal judiciary with President Trump’s nominees. Including the two latest picks, they confirmed four circuit judges and one district judge this week...” (“Senate Confirms Two More Federal Judges, Bringing Total To Five This Week,” Washington Times, 11/2/2017)

• “The Senate voted 53-43 to confirm Stephanos Bibas to the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals … Bibas' confirmation brings the total number of federal appeals court judges confirmed this week to four, following the Senate's confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett to the 7th Circuit, Joan Larsen to the 6th Circuit, and Allison Eid to the 10th Circuit.” (“Senate Votes To Confirm Stephanos Bibas To 3rd Circuit Court Of Appeals,” Washington Examiner, 11/2/2017)

“Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is ramping up the pace of confirmation for President Donald Trump's judicial nominees.” (“McConnell Is Setting The Stage For Rapid-Fire Confirmation Of Trump's Judicial Nominees,” Business Insider, 10/26/2017)

• “He’s moving quickly. After this week, the Senate will have confirmed eight appellate-level judges, with enough time to move a couple more before the end of the year. In contrast, in 2009, Obama’s first year in office, he saw just three Circuit Court judges confirmed.” (“Mitch McConnell Finally Has Something To Brag About: Judicial Appointments,” Washington Post, 11/2/2017)

• “Including the two latest picks, [the Senate] confirmed four circuit judges and one district judge this week...” (“Senate Confirms Two More Federal Judges, Bringing Total To Five This Week,” Washington Times, 11/2/2017)

“Democrats …see McConnell working at warp speed...” (“Mitch McConnell Finally Has Something To Brag About: Judicial Appointments,” Washington Post, 11/2/2017)

• SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY): “On judges, Mr. President, this week the majority leader has scheduled votes on four circuit court nominations. It is the first time, in my memory, that the Senate is being asked to process four circuit court judges in a single week. … I intend to oppose these extremist nominees.” (Sen. Schumer, Congressional Record, S.6862, 10/30/2017)

• SEN. DICK DURBIN (D-IL): “Senator McConnell controls the floor schedule. If he wants to schedule more votes on judges, I suppose he has the power to do so. He is exercising that power by doing something that has never happened in the history of the Senate. Four circuit court judge nominees will be considered this week in the Senate.” (Sen. Durbin, Congressional Record, S.6886, 10/31/2017)

• “‘I think it's awful fast to move,’ Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, the ranking member on the Senate Judiciary Committee, told Politico.” (“McConnell Is Setting The Stage For Rapid-Fire Confirmation Of Trump's Judicial Nominees,” Business Insider, 10/26/2017)

 ‘Leftists… Are Rather Unhappy’

GUY BENSON, Townhall: “Leftists, and especially the abortion lobby, are rather unhappy over Barrett's confirmation, and it's likely not the last time they'll take an 'L' this week, either. That's because Mitch McConnell decided to devote the entire floor schedule to confirming a conga line of conservative judges nominated by President Trump, with more to come.” (“Good News: McConnell Powers Through Democratic Obstructionism,” Townhall.com, 11/1/2017)

BUZZFEED: “…Democrats and liberal groups have been unable to stop any of Trump’s nominees from being confirmed by the Republican-controlled Senate. No Republicans have voted against a Trump judicial nominee.” (“Republicans Want To Change The Rules To Let Trump Reshape The Judiciary ASAP,” BuzzFeed, 11/1/2017)

HUFFINGTON POST: “The Senate Is About To Confirm A Frenzy Of Conservative Judges: Four of Trump’s nominees to lifetime court seats are getting votes this week. Democrats oppose all of them. … With little fanfare, this week is shaping up to be one of Republicans’ biggest boosts to Trump’s agenda since Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch was confirmed in April.” (“The Senate Is About To Confirm A Frenzy Of Conservative Judges,” Huffington Post, 10/30/2017)

• “McConnell has teed up votes this week on four of President Donald Trump’s judicial nominees. That’s an incredible amount of activity on judges in one week.” (“The Senate Is About To Confirm A Frenzy Of Conservative Judges,” Huffington Post, 10/30/2017)

“‘I never remember the Democrats ever doing anything comparable,’ Carl Tobias, a University of Richmond law professor and an expert on judicial nominations, told HuffPost on Monday.” (“The Senate Is About To Confirm A Frenzy Of Conservative Judges,” Huffington Post, 10/30/2017)

“Nan Aron, president of the progressive Alliance for Justice, said the rush to confirm the circuit court judges is the ‘Trump-GOP court takeover strategy in all its glory.’” (“McConnell Picks Up Pace On Trump’s Judges, Moves To Confirm Four Next Week,” The Washington Times, 10/26/2017)

PLANNED PARENTHOOD: “If Gorsuch is any indication of the types of judges Trump is tapping for lifetime appointments, we’re in trouble.” (Twitter, @PPact, 10/21/17)

PEOPLE FOR THE AMERICAN WAY: “The survival of our democracy depends on having independent courts with judges who protect everyone’s rights and who won’t let anyone trample on the Constitution. So it’s no surprise that Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell are moving at light speed to transform our federal judiciary into a body of partisan ideologues who can be counted upon to support the GOP’s agenda. … this situation isn’t funny. He and Trump are quickly transforming the American judiciary…” (PFAW, Press Release, 10/30/2017)

• PETER MONTGOMERY, People For The American Way Senior Fellow: “The Senate is getting ready to move on another set of awful judicial nominees chosen to advance the far-right’s goal of gaining ideological dominance over the federal judiciary as a way to reverse many of the social justice gains of the past century. … A prime example is Amy Coney Barrett, who has been nominated to serve on the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals.” (Peter Montgomery, Op-Ed, Huffington Post, 10/30/2017)