by Jorge Gomez • 5 min read
Federal judges make critical legal decisions about religious freedom and our other constitutional rights. First Liberty continues to monitor judicial nominees and to provide you with the facts about the ones with a radical or unacceptable record.
Here’s a quick roundup on judicial nominations and what’s happening across the federal courts.
Controversial Biden Nominee Continues Losing Support
Support is quickly dwindling for Adeel Mangi, President Biden’s nominee to the U.S. 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals. Three Senate Democrats have now said they are not supporting him.
Sen. Jacky Rosen of Nevada is the latest to announce she does not plan on voting to confirm Mangi, given “the concerns I’ve heard from law enforcement in Nevada.”
Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada and Joe Manchin of West Virginia also announced recently they would not support the nomination.
Democrats hold a narrow 51-49 majority in the U.S. Senate. Three senators in opposition on that side of the aisle diminish Mangi’s chances at being confirmed.
His nomination has drawn considerable opposition because of his affiliation with certain groups. First Liberty warned about him serving on the advisory board of the Rutgers Center for Security, Race and Rights—an organization that promotes anti-Semitism and praises terrorist groups.
Five police unions representing nearly 280,000 officers also sent letters urging senators to oppose Mangi’s nomination. They sounded the alarm about Mangi serving on the board of an organization that advocates for the release of individuals convicted of killing law enforcement officers.
Republican Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana recently called Mangi’s nomination “one of the worst” by the Biden administration:
Read More:
Roll Call: Appeals Court Nominee Loses Democratic Support
Reuters: Third US Senate Democrat to vote against judicial nominee Mangi
Washington Post: With 3rd Democratic senator opposed, Biden judicial nominee in jeopardy
Washington Free Beacon: Democrats Are Touting Liberal Groups’ Support for Adeel Mangi. Those Groups Have Hailed Cop-Killers.
First Liberty: Law Enforcement Warns: Biden Nominee Doesn’t Belong on the Federal Bench
First Liberty: Biden Judicial Nominee Linked to Group Promoting Anti-Semitism
First Liberty: Congressmen Say Controversial Nominee Must Be Withdrawn
Radical Left Keeps Pushing for Justice Sotomayor to Retire
The far Left’s effort at court packing and other radical proposals has been largely unpopular with Americans. It’s why we’re witnessing a shift to different strategies to exert control over the Supreme Court and judiciary.
There are growing calls for Justice Sonia Sotomayor to retire. News stories are currently circulating about her alleged health concerns, including diabetes type 1 and a history of smoking, as a reason for her to resign.
Replacing Sotomayor now wouldn’t change the balance of the Court. But it would presumably give President Biden a chance to replace her with a younger liberal justice who would be on the bench for two, maybe three decades.
The Huffington Post came out with a story recently that further exposes the partisan motives behind the push:
“A presidential election is looming. Control of the Senate is uncertain. The window may be closing for the Democratic Party to replace the oldest Supreme Court justice nominated by a Democratic president.”
Sound familiar? In 2021, a group called Demand Justice ran a “Breyer Retire” campaign. In 2022, Breyer did retire, and his seat was filled by 52-year-old Ketanji Brown Jackson.
Read More:
New York Magazine: Sonia Sotomayor Should Get Real That the Supreme Court Is Partisan Justices say the Court isn’t political, but c’mon.
Reason: Should Justice Sotomayor Retire? Some People Think So.
Daily Caller: Liberals Start Nudging Aging Supreme Court Justice Toward The Door As Possible Second Trump Admin Looms
Biden Judicial Nominee Stumbles Over 2nd Amendment Question
Several of President Biden’s judicial nominees have struggled during their confirmation hearings when asked to articulate basic constitutional and legal concepts.
Some of them have even struggled to give a clear answers when senators on the judiciary committee have asked them questions about their record and legal career. This concerning pattern has caused many senators to say that Biden’s judicial picks may be unqualified to serve on the federal bench for life.
The latest example happened when Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana questioned federal appeals court nominee Nancy Maldonado. According to Townhall, this nominee “totally collapsed” when asked about 2nd Amendment rights and whether she supported legal arguments to ban so-called “assault weapons.” Watch the exchange below:
WATCH:@SenJohnKennedy: “You said, ‘assault weapons may be banned because they’re extraordinarily dangerous and are not appropriate for legitimate self-defense purposes.’ Tell me what you meant by assault weapons?”
Biden’s Seventh Circuit judge nominee Nancy Maldonado: “I’m not… pic.twitter.com/1ctY2E64IO
— Carrie Severino (@JCNSeverino) March 20, 2024
Read More:
First Liberty: Biden Judicial Nominees Keep Struggling with Basic Legal Questions
First Liberty: Another Biden Judicial Nominee Stumped by Senator’s Questions During Hearing
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