President Joe Biden’s Supreme Court appointment could be a net-negative for his judicial legacy, as the confirmation process will gum up the works for lower court nominees awaiting hearings and final votes.
Senate Democrats confirmed more than 40 Biden nominees in 2021, but that lively pace will grind to a halt once the Senate Judiciary Committee turns its attention to the president’s Supreme Court pick. And with Republicans favored to take control of the Senate in November, time is running out for Biden to stack the courts with a new generation of young, ideological progressives.
“Supreme Court confirmations generally take about two months, sometimes faster, from nomination to confirmation,” said Mike Davis, a former nominations chief for Sen. Chuck Grassley (R., Iowa). “And the lower court nominations generally get put on the back-burner and all eyes—and resources—focus on the Supreme Court nominee.”
Join the conversation as a VIP Member