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Liberal Group Reports: Senate Republicans have all but abandoned their constitutional duty to confirm federal judges

● The Senate has confirmed only six judges in 2015, the slowest pace in over 60 years.

● Since January 1, the number of current vacancies has increased by 24, from 43 to 67. 

● Since January 1, the number of judicial emergencies has increased 158 percent, from 12 to 31.

● Two judicial nominees pending for over six months, each of whom would fill a judicial emergency, have not had a confirmation hearing. 

● 35 of 38 current judicial vacancies without nominees are in states with at least one Republican senator. 

● All eight current circuit court vacancies without nominees are in states with at least one Republican senator....

The Republican-led Senate confirmed only five judges in the first eight months of 2015. That‟s the slowest single-year pace since the Senate confirmed a total of nine judges in 1953. Tellingly, four of the five were district court nominees from states with two Republican senators (three from Texas and one from Utah). The fifth, Federal Circuit Judge Kara Farnandez Stoll, is the only circuit court of appeals judge confirmed this year.

The Senate confirmed a sixth judge when it returned from summer recess on September 8. The Western District of Missouri judge became the first nominee in 2015 confirmed to a state with a Democratic senator (Sen. Claire McCaskill). 

Read entire article at Alliance for Justice