Today the Senate returns from Thanksgiving recess after a productive November with a busy agenda. On November 21, Senator McConnell filed cloture on eight district court nominees. That same day, the Senate Judiciary Committee reported out on a party line vote Ninth Circuit nominees Lawrence VanDyke and Patrick Bumatay, who are slated to become the 49th and 50th federal court of appeals judges appointed by President Trump. So December should begin with a good number of confirmations.
Here is a full update on the status of President Trump’s judicial nominations:
Current and known future vacancies: 116
Courts of Appeals: 4
District/Specialty Courts*: 112
Pending nominees for current and known future vacancies: 57
Courts of Appeals: 4
District/Specialty Courts*: 53
Court of Appeals Nominees Awaiting Senate Judiciary Committee Hearings
| Nominee (Circuit) | Original Nomination
Date |
Days Since Original Nomination | Both Blue Slips Returned? | Judiciary Committee Hearing Date |
| Andrew Brasher (11th) | 11/21/19 | 11 | No | Not yet scheduled |
Court of Appeals Nominees Awaiting Senate Judiciary Committee Votes
| Nominee (Circuit) | Original Nomination Date | Days Since Original Nomination | Judiciary Committee Hearing Date |
| Halil Suleyman “Sul” Ozerden (5th) | 6/24/19 | 161 | 7/17/19 |
Court of Appeals Nominees Awaiting Senate Floor Votes
| Nominee (Circuit) | Nomination Date | Days Since Original Nomination | Date Reported to Senate Floor |
| Patrick Bumatay (9th) | 10/15/19 | 48 | 11/21/2019 |
| Lawrence VanDyke (9th) | 10/15/19 | 48 | 11/21/2019 |
Nominees Awaiting Floor Votes: 31
Courts of Appeals: 2
District/Specialty Courts*: 29
Days Pending
- # of pending nominees originally nominated > 500 days ago: 6
- # of pending nominees originally nominated > 400 days ago: 6
- # of pending nominees originally nominated > 300 days ago: 11
Nominees Confirmed by the Senate during the 116th Congress: 82
Supreme Court: 0
Courts of Appeals: 18
District/Specialty Courts*: 64
Nominees Confirmed by the Senate since Inauguration Day: 167
Supreme Court: 2
Courts of Appeals: 48
District/Specialty Courts*: 117
* Includes the Court of Federal Claims and the International Trade Court