As the 118th Congress formally ends today, we have the final numbers on President Biden’s judicial nominations, with a total of 235 Article III judges confirmed. Unsurprisingly, Senate Democrats have touted that figure for surpassing the 234 total confirmed during President Trump’s first term. That’s a difference of one confirmation. Trump’s first four years were far more impactful for the judiciary, with two more Supreme Court and nine more circuit court appointments than Biden. By the terms of a late-night deal in November, four Biden circuit nominees—Adeel Mangi, Ryan Park, Karla Campbell, and Julia Lipez—were never confirmed, which in a Democratic Senate says a lot about how awful they were. And of course, Trump is about to begin another term that will increase his totals. So the Democrats’ celebratory messaging seems a bit strained, to put it mildly.
Below are the final numbers on judicial nominations during the Biden administration. (Note that vacancy numbers include three known future vacancies that will not actually materialize until this summer or fall, obviously well after inauguration day.)
Current and known future vacancies: 45
Supreme Court: 0
Courts of Appeals: 4
District/International Trade Courts: 41
All Article III Nominees Confirmed by the Senate during the 118th Congress: 138
Supreme Court: 0
Courts of Appeals: 17
District/International Trade Courts: 121
All Article III Nominees Confirmed by the Senate since Inauguration Day: 235
Supreme Court: 1
Courts of Appeals: 45
District/International Trade Courts: 189