National

Data: United States Senate; Chart: Naema Ahmed, Lazaro Gamio/Axios

Most Supreme Court justices are confirmed by lopsided majorities, but since the 1990s, partisan votes have become more common.

The bottom line: Brett Kavanaugh was confirmed in 2018 with the lowest number of yes votes for a justice in the history of the Supreme Court.

Chart: The margin of every Supreme Court confirmation vote since 1967

Kavanaugh was confirmed with the lowest number of yes votes in history.

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Supreme Court

Most Supreme Court justices are confirmed by lopsided majorities, but since the 1990s, partisan votes have become more common.The bottom line: Brett Kavanaugh was confirmed in 2018 with the lowest number of yes votes for a justice in the history of the Supreme Court.

President Biden has made the COVID-19 crisis and a post-Trump return to national unity and traditional democratic ideals his top priorities. From vaccinations to stimulus to schools, Biden is seeking bipartisan compromise while showing a willingness to use executive authority and bare Democratic majorities in the U.S. House and Senate to implement his policies. Republican leaders are navigating deep party divisions over if and how to move beyond former President Trump.

Chart: The margin of every Supreme Court confirmation vote since 1967

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