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civil and human rights advocate, writer/editor 🏳️‍🌈 writing: nominationnotes.com email: [email protected] signal: patrickm.87

patrick mcneil (he/him)

Only five Senate Democrats asked questions during today's hearing to consider five of Trump's lifetime judicial nominees. And Senator Whitehouse just spoke (without asking any questions) during the first panel. Senators Klobuchar, Coons, Hirono, Booker, and Padilla weren't there.

patrick mcneil (he/him)

Setting aside what Martin actually said at today's hearing, I love that the new standard is: "The nominee admitted Joe Biden won in 2020, so I'm absolutely convinced they'll be a fair and independent judge." The bar is SO LOW.

Justin Smith, Trump's personal lawyer, is inching toward confirmation to the 8th Circuit. Cloture vote on his nomination is tomorrow at 1:45, with an expected confirmation vote at 5:30 on Monday.

Four senators asked 8th Circuit pick Daniel Traynor about a letter he signed — with 12 other Trump-appointed judges — announcing they wouldn't hire any law clerks from Columbia University (and demanding Columbia hire more conservatives). Senator Kennedy said "I just don’t think it’s a good thing."

Senator Padilla hasn't asked a question during a judicial nominations hearing since July 30 of last year.

Tomorrow morning the Senate Judiciary Committee was set to advance the nominations of six more white guys to be lifetime judges, but it looks like the markup was cancelled. www.judiciary.senate.gov/committee-ac...

I got this response from Senator Peters: “Mr. Martin reiterated in our meetings, as well as at today’s hearing, that Joe Biden won the 2020 election, reassuring me that he will exercise independent judgment.” cc: @wedemandjustice.bsky.social, @afj.org

patrick mcneil (he/him)

NEW: Five lifetime judicial nominees appeared before the Judiciary Committee today. District court nominees adopted a new way of answering questions about the 2020 election, saying "as a matter of law" Biden won. Still won't say he got more votes though. nominationnotes.substack.com/p/judicial-n...

patrick mcneil (he/him)

This is the nation's newest federal judge. He was confirmed this afternoon on a party-line vote. nominationnotes.substack.com/p/senate-set...

Senator Durbin asked Kasdin Mitchell about a brief she co-authored in Shelby County v. Holder when she was assistant solicitor general of Alabama. Her brief said that “Things in the South have, indeed, changed" and urged SCOTUS to gut the VRA. She said today that she stands by those arguments.