Joe Biden announces fifth lineup of judicial nominees

US President Joe Biden is seeing progress in the swift confirmations of his previous judicial nominees. Biden this week announced his fifth lineup for judiciary nominees as members of his party look to maintain the swift momentum in their confirmations.

Biden announced eight new nominees for judiciary positions Wednesday as the White House looks to maintain the swift confirmations of all his appointees to the bench. The announcement includes Biden’s intent for two circuit court nominations. The confirmation of Biden’s nominees is among the central priorities of both Biden and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.

Biden nominated Virginia’s solicitor general Toby Heytens to the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals and Oregon Employment Relations Board member Jennifer Sung to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. Biden’s other nominees include Jane Beckering for US District Court of Michigan, Shalina Kumar for the District Court of Eastern Michigan, and Michael Nachmanoff for the District Court of Eastern Virginia.

As of this time, Biden is the first president since Richard Nixon to have the fastest confirmations in his first term. The speed of the confirmations also follows the Democratic Party’s focus on the issue after former President Donald Trump’s sweeping effort to get over 230 federal judges appointed during his presidency.

Trump’s success was also an achievement for now-Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and has since brought the issue forward amongst the Democratic Party. One instance was during the GOP’s effort to speed through the confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett to replace the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Meanwhile, the Holy Trinity Catholic Church parish council released a statement saying that they will not deny Biden communion. This follows the rift between the US leader and the Roman Catholic Church, whose bishops have decried the Democratic president over his stance on legal abortion. This is despite Biden personally opposing abortion.

The US bishops made the controversial vote to draft a document denying communion to American politicians who support the right to legal abortion. The Holy Trinity Parish said that they were supporting Washington archbishop Cardinal Wilton Gregory, who opposed drafting the statement.