The GOP senators confirming the most Biden judicial nominees
Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina have voted with Democrats to confirm the majority of President Biden's judicial nominees, according to data from Quorum.
Why it matters: After notching more judicial confirmations during his first year than any other president since Ronald Reagan, Biden has promised to announce a Supreme Court nominee by the end of the month. Republicans cannot filibuster, but the president will need every vote he can get in a 50-50 split Senate.
- Of note: The data does not include the confirmations for Judge Armando Bonilla or Judge Carolyn Lerner, who were confirmed via voice votes.
- The data was current as of early this month.
By the numbers: Collins has voted "yea" for Biden's judicial nominees 51 out of 59 times — more than any other Republican.
- Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) is the only senator to have never voted for one of Biden's judicial picks, according to the data. Seven other Republicans have only voted "yea" once.
- No Democrats have voted "nay" on a nominee, although several have missed votes. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) has missed the most, at 24. She missed a handful while she was in San Francisco with her husband, who was hospitalized in September.
- Next was Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), at 12. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), who along with Sinema has caused headaches for Democrats over the past year, missed seven confirmation votes for judicial picks.
What to watch: Last June, Collins, Murkowski and Graham all voted to confirm Supreme Court prospect Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to serve on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, Quorum notes.
- All three also voted to confirm Attorney General Merrick Garland, the official roll call shows.
- Sens. Roy Blunt of Missouri, Marco Rubio of Florida and Ben Sasse of Nebraska missed the vote.
- The remainder of their Republican colleagues voted "nay."