The Senate on Wednesday voted 52-48 to confirm Cory Wilson, a conservative state court judge in Mississippi, to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Fifth Circuit.
Why it matters: Under the leadership of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, the GOP-led chamber has confirmed 200 of President Trump's appointments to the federal judiciary.
- Wilson is Trump's 53rd appointment to a federal appeals court. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) was the sole Republican "no" vote.
- The landmark achieves a Republican goal of filling every appeals court opening by the end of the year.
The big picture: The federal courts carry significant weight in almost every area of policy, and have been a priority for Republicans during Trump's presidency. The milestone illustrates how President Trump has reshaped the federal judiciary with young, conservative judges during his first term.
What they're saying: “Following Number 200, when we depart this chamber today, there will not be a single circuit court vacancy anywhere in the nation for the first time in at least 40 years,” McConnell said on Wednesday, according to the New York Times. “It’s a victory for the rule of law and for the Constitution itself.”