U.S. President Barack Obama nominated over 400 individuals for federal judgeships during his presidency. Of these nominations, Congress confirmed 329 judgeships, 173 during the 111th & 112th Congresses [1] and 156 during the 113th and 114th Congresses. [2]
Republicans successfully blocked some confirmations, either by filibuster or voting against cloture, even while the Democratic caucus held a Senate majority (2009–2015). Senator Chuck Grassley, then-ranking Republican on the judiciary, said that more nominees could have been considered if not for the January 2012 National Labor Relations Board recess appointments; [3] the Supreme Court later unanimously ruled these January 2012 appointments illegal in NLRB v. Noel Canning . [4]
In response, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid invoked the so-called parliamentary nuclear option on November 21, 2013, which changed the Senate's confirmation threshold for all executive nominees except for the Supreme Court. [5] While Senate confirmations of Obama judicial nominees rose in 2014 following the "nuclear option," the greatest number of rejection of Obama nominees occurred following the 2014 United States Senate elections, where the Republicans gained nine seats and majority control of the chamber. Obama ultimately nominated 70 individuals for 104 different federal judgeships during this Congress, with 20 confirmations. [6]
With the death of Antonin Scalia in February 2016 in the beginning of a presidential election year, the Republican majority in the Senate made it their stated policy to refuse to consider any nominee to the Supreme Court, arguing that the next president should be the one to appoint Scalia's replacement. [7] Obama nominated Merrick Garland for the open Supreme Court seat, but the Senate did not consider the nomination.
Obama made 80 nominations for federal judgeships that were not confirmed by the Senate. Of these, 7 were withdrawn by Obama, while the other 73 expired at an adjournment of the Senate, including 54 that were pending at the close of the 114th Congress. As of December 4, 2023, 23 of his unsuccessful nominees had been nominated to federal judgeships by subsequent presidents, with 22 of them having been confirmed.
Nominee | Court | Nomination date | Date of final action | Final action | Subsequent federal judicial nominations | Seat filled by | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Supreme Court | |||||||
Merrick Garland | SCOTUS | March 16, 2016 | January 3, 2017 | returned to the president | Neil Gorsuch | [8] | |
Courts of appeals | |||||||
Robert N. Chatigny | 2nd Cir. | February 24, 2010 | September 13, 2010 | returned to the president | Christopher F. Droney | [9] [10] | |
Goodwin Liu | 9th Cir. | February 24, 2010 | July 29, 2011 | withdrawn by Pres. Obama | Jacqueline Nguyen | [11] [12] [13] | |
Edward C. DuMont | Fed. Cir. | April 14, 2010 | January 5, 2011 | withdrawn by Pres. Obama | Richard G. Taranto | [14] [15] | |
Victoria F. Nourse | 7th Cir. | July 14, 2010 | January 5, 2011 | returned to the president | Michael B. Brennan | [16] [17] | |
Caitlin Halligan | D.C. Cir. | September 29, 2010 | March 22, 2013 | withdrawn by Pres. Obama | Patricia Millett | [18] [19] [20] [21] | |
Stephen Six | 10th Cir. | March 9, 2011 | January 3, 2012 | returned to the president | Nancy Moritz | [22] | |
Donald Karl Schott | 7th Cir. | January 12, 2016 | January 3, 2017 | returned to the president | Michael B. Brennan | [23] | |
Myra C. Selby | 7th Cir. | January 12, 2016 | January 3, 2017 | returned to the president | Amy Coney Barrett | [24] | |
Jennifer Klemetsrud Puhl | 8th Cir. | January 28, 2016 | January 3, 2017 | returned to the president | Ralph R. Erickson | [25] | |
Abdul Kallon | 11th Cir. | February 11, 2016 | January 3, 2017 | returned to the president | Kevin Newsom | [26] | |
Lucy Koh | 9th Cir. | February 25, 2016 | January 3, 2017 | returned to the president | 9th Cir. (nominated September 20, 2021, confirmed December 13, 2021) | Daniel P. Collins | [27] |
Rebecca Ross Haywood | 3rd Cir. | March 15, 2016 | January 3, 2017 | returned to the president | Stephanos Bibas | [28] | |
Lisabeth Tabor Hughes | 6th Cir. | March 17, 2016 | January 3, 2017 | returned to the president | Amul Thapar | [29] | |
District courts | |||||||
Louis B. Butler | W.D. Wis. | September 30, 2009 | January 3, 2012 | returned to the president | James D. Peterson | [30] [31] [32] [33] | |
Charles Bernard Day | D. Md. | July 21, 2010 | January 5, 2011 | withdrawn by Pres. Obama | George L. Russell III | [34] [35] | |
Michael Green | W.D.N.Y. | January 26, 2011 | January 3, 2012 | returned to the president | Frank P. Geraci Jr. | [36] | |
Natasha Perdew Silas | N.D. Ga. | January 26, 2011 | January 3, 2012 | returned to the president | Mark Howard Cohen | [37] | |
Linda T. Walker | N.D. Ga. | January 26, 2011 | January 3, 2012 | returned to the president | Leigh Martin May | [38] | |
Arvo Mikkanen | N.D. Okla. | February 2, 2011 | January 3, 2012 | returned to the president | John E. Dowdell | [39] | |
Elissa F. Cadish | D. Nev. | February 16, 2012 | January 4, 2013 | withdrawn by Pres. Obama | Richard Boulware II | [40] [41] | |
William L. Thomas | S.D. Fla. | November 14, 2012 | January 4, 2013 | returned to the president | Robin L. Rosenberg | [42] [43] | |
Jennifer Prescod May-Parker | E.D.N.C. | June 20, 2013 | January 6, 2014 | returned to the president | Richard E. Myers II | [44] [45] | |
Alison Renee Lee | D.S.C. | June 26, 2013 | January 6, 2014 | withdrawn by Pres. Obama | A. Marvin Quattlebaum Jr. | [46] [47] | |
Michael P. Boggs | N.D. Ga. | December 19, 2013 | January 6, 2014 | returned to the president | Michael Lawrence Brown | [48] [49] | |
Mary Barzee Flores | S.D. Fla. | February 26, 2015 | January 3, 2017 | returned to the president | Rodney Smith | [50] | |
Julien Neals | D.N.J. | February 26, 2015 | January 3, 2017 | returned to the president | D.N.J. (nominated April 19, 2021, confirmed June 8, 2021) | Evelyn Padin | [51] |
Edward L. Stanton III | W.D. Tenn. | May 21, 2015 | January 3, 2017 | returned to the president | Tommy Parker | [52] | |
Mark A. Young | C.D. Cal. | July 16, 2015 | January 3, 2017 | returned to the president | Stanley Blumenfeld | [53] | |
Susan Paradise Baxter | W.D. Pa. | July 30, 2015 | January 3, 2017 | returned to the president | W.D. Pa. (nominated December 20, 2017, confirmed August 28, 2018) | Herself | [54] |
Inga S. Bernstein | D. Mass. | July 30, 2015 | January 3, 2017 | returned to the president | Angel Kelley | [55] | |
Gary R. Brown | E.D.N.Y. | July 30, 2015 | January 3, 2017 | returned to the president | E.D.N.Y. (nominated May 15, 2018, confirmed December 19, 2019) | Himself | [56] |
Robert J. Colville | W.D. Pa. | July 30, 2015 | January 3, 2017 | returned to the president | W.D. Pa. (nominated March 5, 2019, confirmed December 19, 2019) | Marilyn Horan | [57] |
Marilyn Horan | W.D. Pa. | July 30, 2015 | January 3, 2017 | returned to the president | W.D. Pa. (nominated December 20, 2017, confirmed September 6, 2018) | Peter J. Phipps | [58] |
Dax Eric López | N.D. Ga. | July 30, 2015 | January 3, 2017 | returned to the president | Michael Lawrence Brown | [59] | |
John Milton Younge | E.D. Pa. | July 30, 2015 | January 3, 2017 | returned to the president | E.D. Pa. (nominated July 17, 2018, confirmed July 31, 2019) | Himself | [60] |
Clare E. Connors | D. Haw. | September 8, 2015 | January 3, 2017 | returned to the president | Jill Otake | [61] | |
Stephanie A. Gallagher | D. Md. | September 8, 2015 | January 3, 2017 | returned to the president | D. Md. (nominated June 11, 2018, confirmed September 11, 2019) | Herself | [62] |
Mary S. McElroy | D.R.I. | September 8, 2015 | January 3, 2017 | returned to the president | D.R.I. (nominated April 12, 2018, confirmed September 11, 2019) | Herself | [63] |
Paul Lewis Abrams | C.D. Cal. | December 16, 2015 | January 3, 2017 | returned to the president | John W. Holcomb | [64] | |
Suzanne Mitchell | W.D. Okla. | December 16, 2015 | January 3, 2017 | returned to the president | Patrick Wyrick | [65] | |
Scott L. Palk | W.D. Okla. | December 16, 2015 | January 3, 2017 | returned to the president | W.D. Okla. (nominated May 8, 2017, confirmed October 26, 2017) | Himself | [66] |
Ronald G. Russell | D. Utah | December 16, 2015 | January 3, 2017 | returned to the president | Howard C. Nielson Jr. | [67] | |
Winfield D. Ong | S.D. Ind. | January 12, 2016 | January 3, 2017 | returned to the president | James R. Sweeney II | [68] | |
Terrence J. Campbell | D. Kan. | January 28, 2016 | January 3, 2017 | returned to the president | Holly Teeter | [69] | |
Stephanie A. Finley | W.D. La. | February 4, 2016 | January 3, 2017 | returned to the president | Michael J. Juneau | [70] | |
Claude J. Kelly III | E.D. La. | February 4, 2016 | January 3, 2017 | returned to the president | Barry Ashe | [71] | |
Donald W. Beatty | D.S.C. | February 25, 2016 | January 3, 2017 | returned to the president | A. Marvin Quattlebaum Jr. | [72] | |
Donald C. Coggins Jr. | D.S.C. | February 25, 2016 | January 3, 2017 | returned to the president | D.S.C. (nominated August 3, 2017, confirmed November 16, 2017) | Himself | [73] |
David Counts | W.D. Tex. | March 15, 2016 | January 3, 2017 | returned to the president | W.D. Tex. (nominated September 11, 2017, confirmed January 11, 2018) | Himself | [74] |
E. Scott Frost | N.D. Tex. | March 15, 2016 | January 3, 2017 | returned to the president | James Wesley Hendrix | [75] | |
James Wesley Hendrix | N.D. Tex. | March 15, 2016 | January 3, 2017 | returned to the president | N.D. Tex. (nominated January 17, 2019, confirmed July 30, 2019) | Karen Gren Scholer | [76] |
Irma Carrillo Ramirez | N.D. Tex. | March 15, 2016 | January 3, 2017 | returned to the president | 5th Cir. (nominated April 17, 2023, confirmed December 4, 2023) | Ada Brown | [77] |
Karen Gren Scholer | E.D. Tex. | March 15, 2016 | January 3, 2017 | returned to the president | N.D. Tex. (nominated September 7, 2017, confirmed March 5, 2018) | Sean D. Jordan | [78] |
Kathleen Marie Sweet | W.D.N.Y. | March 15, 2016 | January 3, 2017 | returned to the president | John Sinatra | [79] | |
David Nye | D. Idaho | April 5, 2016 | January 3, 2017 | returned to the president | D. Idaho (nominated May 8, 2017, confirmed July 12, 2017) | Himself | [80] |
Beth M. Andrus | W.D. Wash. | April 14, 2016 | January 3, 2017 | returned to the president | Lauren J. King | [81] | |
J. Michael Diaz | W.D. Wash. | April 14, 2016 | January 3, 2017 | returned to the president | John H. Chun | [82] | |
Kathleen M. O'Sullivan | W.D. Wash. | April 14, 2016 | January 3, 2017 | returned to the president | President Trump announced intention to re-nominate [83] [84] but never did so [85] | Tana Lin | [86] |
Patricia D. Barksdale | M.D. Fla. | April 28, 2016 | January 3, 2017 | returned to the president | Wendy Berger | [87] | |
Todd E. Edelman | D.D.C. | April 28, 2016 | January 3, 2017 | returned to the president | D.D.C. (nominated September 27, 2022, returned January 3, 2024) | Carl J. Nichols | [88] |
William F. Jung | M.D. Fla. | April 28, 2016 | January 3, 2017 | returned to the president | M.D. Fla. (nominated December 21, 2017, confirmed September 6, 2018) | Himself | [89] |
Philip R. Lammens | N.D. Fla. | April 28, 2016 | January 3, 2017 | returned to the president | T. Kent Wetherell II | [90] | |
Florence Y. Pan | D.D.C. | April 28, 2016 | January 3, 2017 | returned to the president | D.D.C. (nominated June 15, 2021, confirmed September 23, 2021) D.C. Cir. (nominated May 25, 2022, confirmed September 20, 2022) | Dabney L. Friedrich | [91] |
Regina M. Rodriguez | D. Colo. | April 28, 2016 | January 3, 2017 | returned to the president | D. Colo. (nominated April 19, 2021, confirmed June 8, 2021) | Daniel D. Domenico | [92] |
Patricia Timmons-Goodson | E.D.N.C. | April 28, 2016 | January 3, 2017 | returned to the president | Richard E. Myers II | [93] | |
Anne Traum | D. Nev. | April 28, 2016 | January 3, 2017 | returned to the president | D. Nev. (nominated November 3, 2021, confirmed March 23, 2022) | Herself | [94] |
Abid Riaz Qureshi | D.D.C. | September 6, 2016 | January 3, 2017 | returned to the president | Timothy J. Kelly | [95] | |
Diane Gujarati | E.D.N.Y. | September 13, 2016 | January 3, 2017 | returned to the president | E.D.N.Y. (nominated May 15, 2018, confirmed September 10, 2020) | Herself | [96] |
Court of International Trade | |||||||
Jeanne E. Davidson | Intl. Trade | September 8, 2014 | January 7, 2015 | returned to the president | M. Miller Baker | [97] [98] | |
Elizabeth J. Drake | Intl. Trade | July 30, 2015 | January 3, 2017 | returned to the president | Timothy M. Reif | [99] | |
Article I courts | |||||||
Gloria Wilson Shelton | Vet. Cl. | June 22, 2011 | January 24, 2012 | withdrawn by Pres. Obama | Margaret Bartley | [100] | |
Nancy B. Firestone | Fed. Cl. | April 10, 2014 | January 7, 2015 | returned to the president | Ryan T. Holte | [101] [102] | |
Thomas L. Halkowski | Fed. Cl. | April 10, 2014 | January 7, 2015 | returned to the president | David A. Tapp | [103] [104] | |
Armando Bonilla | Fed. Cl. | May 21, 2014 | January 7, 2015 | returned to the president | Fed. Cl. (nominated July 13, 2021, confirmed December 18, 2021) | Himself | [105] [106] |
Patricia M. McCarthy | Fed. Cl. | May 21, 2014 | January 7, 2015 | returned to the president | Matthew H. Solomson | [107] [108] | |
Jeri Somers | Fed. Cl. | May 21, 2014 | January 7, 2015 | returned to the president | Richard Hertling | [109] [110] | |
Elizabeth A. Copeland | T.C. | May 4, 2015 | January 3, 2017 | returned to the president | T.C. (nominated August 3, 2017, confirmed August 28, 2018) | Patrick J. Urda | [111] |
Vik Edwin Stoll | T.C. | November 9, 2015 | January 3, 2017 | returned to the president | Elizabeth A. Copeland | [112] | |
Article IV courts | |||||||
Frances Tydingco-Gatewood | D. Guam | May 18, 2016 | January 3, 2017 | returned to the president | TBD | [113] |
Following the death of Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Antonin Scalia in February 2016, President Obama nominated Merrick Garland to fill Scalia's seat on the Supreme Court. At the time of his nomination, Garland was the Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Scalia's death led to an unusual situation in which a Democratic president had the opportunity to appoint a Supreme Court nominee while the Republicans controlled the United States Senate; before Scalia's death; such a situation last occurred when a Senate Republican majority confirmed Grover Cleveland's nomination of Rufus Wheeler Peckham in 1895. [114] While Garland himself was not personally controversial, Scalia was considered one of the more conservative members of the Supreme Court. Political and legal commentators noted that a more liberal replacement could shift the Court's ideological balance for many years into the future, as the confirmation of Garland would have given Democratic appointees a majority on the Supreme Court for the first time since the Harry Blackmun's confirmation in 1970. [115]
Following Scalia's death, Republican Senate leaders announced that they did not plan to consider any Supreme Court nomination during the president's last year in office, citing the upcoming 2016 United States presidential election. [116] Senate Democrats argued that there was sufficient time to vote on a nominee before the election. [117] Garland's nomination ultimately expired on January 3, 2017, with the end of the 114th Congress. The nomination remained before the Senate for 293 days, [118] the longest such nomination in American history Supreme Court nomination. [119]
On January 31, 2017, President Donald Trump announced his selection of Judge Neil Gorsuch for the open Supreme Court seat. Gorsuch was confirmed on April 7, 2017, by a Republican-majority Senate, 54–45 [120] and sworn in on April 10, 2017. [121]
A 2016 study found that the current rate of federal judicial vacancies (10 percent) had led prosecutors to dismiss more cases and had led defendants to be more likely to plead guilty and less likely to be incarcerated. [232] The authors found that "the current rate of vacancies has resulted in 1,000 fewer prison inmates annually compared to a fully-staffed court system, a 1.5 percent decrease." [232]
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