As Congress enters lame duck session Tuesday with Republicans poised to take majorities in both chambers and the White House next year, Senate Democrats have just weeks to confirm dozens of nominees President Joe Biden’s remaining legal cases. Unless impeached, a federal judge serves for life and cannot be forcibly removed.

U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) is urging her colleagues to prioritize judicial confirmations.

“While we still rule the Senate and the White House, we must do everything we can to safeguard our democracy,” Senator Warren wrote in a statement. TIME editorial last week. “Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer must use every minute of the year-end legislative session to confirm federal judges and top regulators, none of whom can be removed by the next president.”

Majority Leader Schumer, The New York Times reported late last week, “indicated a willingness to devote a significant portion of the Senate’s time to seating more justices in the post-election session… About 30 nominees were already awaiting confirmation, and Mr. Biden in announced two more Friday evening.”

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“We are going to do as much as we can,” Mr. Schumer said in a statement.

Noting that this is the last chance for Democratic senators “until at least 2029 to appoint judges to the courts,” journalist and lawyer Chris Geidner details the terrain. He reports“There are four nominees on appeal awaiting a vote by the full Senate and one awaiting a committee decision. The four nominees awaiting a floor vote are Karla Campbell (Sixth Circuit), Embry Kidd (Eleventh Circuit), Julia Lipez (First Circuit), Adeel Mangi (Third Circuit) and the committee nominee is Ryan Park (Fourth Circuit ).

He adds: “Meanwhile, 13 district court nominees await a vote by the full Senate, 10 more in committee, and two more announced.”

Josh Sorbe, a spokesman for U.S. Senate Judiciary Chairman Dick Durbin, said in a statement to NCRM that the Illinois Democrat “aims to confirm all possible nominees before the end of this Congress.” It also highlights the “213 highly qualified and diverse judges to date who help ensure the fair and impartial administration of the American justice system.”

Over the weekend, President-elect Trump released a warning to Senate Republicans, and ordered that “no judges be approved during this period because Democrats seek to impose their judges while Republicans fight for leadership.” THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE.

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Biden’s White House spokesman Andrew Bates blasted Trump.

“Regardless of party, the American people expect their leaders to prioritize the rule of law and ensure that the criminal justice system can operate effectively in every state. Delaying the confirmation of highly qualified and experienced judges takes a toll on voters and leads to backlogs in criminal cases – meaning there is every pressing reason for Republicans and Democrats to continue working together good faith to staff the federal judiciary,” he said. wrote Monday. “Moreover, there is bipartisan precedent for this: 55 nominees were confirmed during the equivalent period of the Trump administration, following the election of President Biden, including 18 judges, 15 of whom were confirmed with the votes of one or more Senate Democrats. There is no excuse for choosing partisanship over enforcing the rule of law.

Law professor Steve Vladeck, expert on federal courts and constitutional law, writing: “During the lame duck period following the 2020 election, Republicans confirmed a number of President Trump’s judicial nominees, including Judge Aileen Cannon. »

Wednesday will mark Judge Cannon’s fourth anniversary on the federal bench.

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