Biden touts 235 judicial confirmations as bulwark to protect democracy

President Biden on Thursday took a victory lap for the 235 judicial confirmations accomplished during his administration, arguing the judges he appointed to the federal bench would serve as valuable safeguards for democracy as President-elect Trump prepares to retake office.

“I’m proud of the legacy that we’ll leave for our nation as it relates to judges,” Biden said. “I really think we’ll be proud of these women and men that have been appointed, and I think we’re going to reestablish the safeguards that are built into the Constitution.”

Biden was joined at the event by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Dick Durbin (D-Ill.).

Biden noted he has repeatedly warned during his time in office that the nation’s democratic institutions are in jeopardy, and he argued some court decisions that have come down have made “no constitutional sense.” He previously criticized Supreme Court rulings that overturned Roe v. Wade, ended affirmative action and granted wide immunity to presidents for official acts.

“Judges matter,” Biden said Thursday. “Shaping everyday lives of Americans, protecting our basic freedoms — I never thought we’d be talking about this — defending constitutional liberties. Respecting the idea [of] precedent matters.”

Democrats have raised concerns about the incoming Trump administration attacking democratic norms and taking advantage of a conservative majority on the Supreme Court to roll back basic rights.

Schumer, who introduced Biden, said the judges appointed by Biden and confirmed in the last four years by the Democratic-led Senate would serve as “the shield that protects our democracy.”

“The good news is that these judges will be a barrier against attacks on our democratic institutions,” Schumer said. “At the district level, these judges will have the first and often decisive impact on cases involving voting rights and elections and democracy writ large.”

The 235 confirmed judges include Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, who made history as the first Black woman to be confirmed to the court, as well as 45 court of appeals judges, 187 district court judges and two judges on the Court of International Trade.

With the confirmation of his 235th judge late last month, Biden surpassed Trump’s mark of 234 judges confirmed during his first term.

Trump, however, had the opportunity to appoint three Supreme Court justices, cementing the high court’s conservative tilt and paving the way for major decisions on abortion rights, presidential immunity and affirmative action in recent years.

Durbin noted in his remarks that Biden faced hurdles in getting so many judges confirmed. The Senate was divided, 50-50, for the first two years of Biden’s term, and Democrats only held a 51-49 majority in his second two years.

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