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Republican Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy stumped judicial nominee Robin M. Meriweather on Wednesday with a question about how the Court of Federal Claims works. President Joe Biden nominated Meriweather to be a judge on the Court of Federal Claims in early January. Kennedy first began his line of questioning by asking how many motions Meriweather has argued in the court of federal claims. Meriweather said she’s argued “hundreds of motions involving complex civil claims in numerous courts, the court of federal claims is not one of those courts.” “Okay, so the answer is zero?” Kennedy asked. “That is correct, senator.”...

VIDEOSleepy Joe's nominee for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, Dale Ho, was caught blatantly lying under oath before the U.S. Senate. If there is at least one Democrat Senator who thinks lying to the Senate is disqualifying to serve as a judge, then his nomination is toast. Oh, and Sleepy Joe can convincingly claim that he wasn't even aware of Ho's existence since he can say he just signed a piece of paper his handlers put in front of him without him knowing what was even on it.

One of President Trump's nominees for the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals broke down in tears during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing Wednesday, as he disputed suggestions that he would not be fair to members of the LGBTQ community. Lawrence VanDyke was the subject of a scathing letter from the American Bar Association, sent to committee leadership Tuesday night, which alleged that people they interviewed expressed this concern, and that VanDyke himself "would not say affirmatively that he would be fair to any litigant before him, notably members of the LGBTQ community." But conservatives have adamantly defended the nominee. And...

The Senate Judiciary Committee voted Thursday to advance President Trump's nomineeto replace Brett Kavanaugh on the high-profile D.C. appeals court, with two Republican holdouts backing off their objections and joining colleagues to support Neomi Rao. The committee voted 12-10 along party lines – with GOP Sens. Josh Hawley of Missouri and Joni Ernst of Iowa joining their fellow Republican lawmakers – to endorse Rao for a seat on the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. The seat was vacated when Justice Kavanaugh joined the Supreme Court. Rao, 45, heads the White House Office of Information and...

The Senate is set to escalate a long simmering fight over President Trump's judicial nominees. Republicans are poised to confirm a pick for the influential circuit courts next week without the support of either of the nominee's home-state senators—a first for the Trump era. Eric Miller is the first appeals judge to get a vote on the Senate floor this year, and the 31st of Trump’s presidency. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) set up an initial vote on his Ninth Circuit nomination for Monday evening. “The judicial train is running in the committee and it will soon hit the floor,”...

In the past two years, Democrat-aligned senators have launched inquisitions into the religious beliefs of President Donald Trump's nominees for judicial and administration positions. This week, the Family Research Council (FRC) released a report naming twelve offenders and documenting the nine times when senators applied an unconstitutional religious test for public office. Three of these senators are likely candidates for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. "The senators asking these questions are more interested in painting the nominees as partial because of their religious convictions, rather than actually pursuing the truth," Alexandra McPhee, Esq., FRC's director of religious freedom advocacy and...

Religious tests are unacceptable––we should never let people of faith be automatically disqualified from public service due to their closely held beliefs. Dissenting in Obergefell v. Hodges, the 2015 Supreme Court case that legalized same-sex marriage, Justice Samuel Alito gravely predicted that “those who cling to old beliefs will be able to whisper their thoughts in the recesses of their homes, but if they repeat those views in public, they will risk being labeled as bigots and treated as such by governments, employers, and schools.” He was right. In Wisconsin, this campaign of religious intolerance has claimed a new casualty...

Senate Democrats signaled Wednesday that their next target among President Trump’s judicial nominees will be Michael Park, saying he’s been tainted by his work on behalf of conservative clients. Mr. Park would be the first Korean American judge on the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals — but Democrats said that historic accomplishment isn’t enough to overcome their fears that he would display a conservative judicial philosophy. Senate Minority leader Chuck Schumer led the opposition from the chamber floor, saying his work as an attorney involved trying to undermine the Affordable Care Act, roll back affirmative action and defund Planned...

Something about judicial confirmation hearings seems to trip up Sen. Cory Booker -- who got corrected by a high-profile nominee on Tuesday during a heated exchange about diversity on her staff. Booker made headlines last September for cheekily declaring his “I am Spartacus” moment as he moved to release sensitive documents during now-Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s hearing, only to be told they weren't so sensitive after all. On Tuesday, the New Jersey Democratic senator tried to turn up the heat once again while grilling Neomi Rao, the nominee to replace Kavanaugh on the U.S. Court of Appeals for D.C.,...

Full title: Knights of Columbus issue a pitch-perfect response to the anti-Catholic bigotry to Senators Hirono and Harris Readers of American Thinker ( here, here, and here) are familiar with the appalling religious test for office that seems to be lurking in the questions submitted in writing to a nominee for a federal judgeship by Senators Hirono and Harris. In sum: In a series of questions sent to Buescher, Hirono asked whether his membership in the Knights of Columbus would prevent him from hearing cases "fairly and impartially" and, if confirmed, whether he would end his membership in the organization....

Democratic senators quiz judicial nominee over membership in men's Catholic charitable groupSenate Democrats are facing renewed charges of anti-Catholic discrimination after quizzing a federal judicial nominee about his membership in the Knights of Columbus. Democratic Sens. Kamala Harris and Mazie Hirono were accused of “religious profiling” after they zeroed in on judicial nominee Brian Buescher’s membership in the 137-year-old fraternal Catholic charitable organization earlier this month in written questions. “The Knights of Columbus has taken a number of extreme positions,” said Ms. Hirono, Hawaii Democrat, citing the group’s opposition to same-sex marriage. “If confirmed, do you intend to end your...

Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey Jr. once again put his own political interests before that of his constituents. This time, Casey is vehemently opposing a qualified candidate for the Court of Appeals on ideological grounds. David Porter, an attorney from Pittsburgh, was nominated by President Trump to sit on the bench for the 3rd circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals. Porter has 23 years of experience in law, and currently practices at the Pittsburgh law firm Buchanan, Ingersoll and Rooney.Historically, Pennsylvania Senators Casey and Toomey have typically stuck together for judicial nominations and have been able to compromise for the...

A lawyer who led the fight against Obamacare’s contraceptive mandate, eventually winning the Hobby Lobby case before the Supreme Court, won confirmation by the Senate Tuesday to a federal appeals court. Senators voted 50-47 to confirm Stuart Kyle Duncan to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which covers Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi. Only one Democrat, Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, broke with his party to support Mr. Duncan. Other Democrats voiced opposition to Mr. Duncan as an “unfit ideologue” who fought women’s access to reproductive healthcare. They also said his defense of state laws requiring photo-ID to vote,...

Trump judicial nominee Wendy Vitter’s personal pro-life views were under intense scrutiny from several Democratic senators at her confirmation hearing Wednesday. Vitter was repeatedly asked about her pro-life beliefs and whether they would interfere with her role as a judge. She was also grilled about statements made in past, pro-life speaking engagements. The main questions from Democratic senators centered around two appearances she made, that were recently cited by the abortion giant Planned Parenthood in an op-ed targeting Vitter prior to the hearing. One appearance was as the moderator of a 2013 Louisiana Right to Life panel where views...

The Senate confirmed another one of President Trump’s Circuit Court nominees on Tuesday over “blue slip” protests from Democrats, who said the nominee never should have been given a hearing, let alone a vote. Minnesota Supreme Court Justice David Stras was confirmed to the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals by a 56 to 42 vote, becoming Mr. Trump’s 13th Circuit Court pick to clear the Senate. But Democrats said Justice Stras was only placed on the federal bench after Republicans disregarded the “blue slip” tradition, which allows home state senators to sign off on judges from their home states.

The top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee suggested Wednesday the Republican chairman disrespected a female senator by holding a hearing over her objection to a judicial pick from her home state. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, Wisconsin Democrat, had withheld her “blue slip” on the nomination of Michael Brennan, President Trump’s pick to a seat to a Wisconsin-held seat on the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Ms. Baldwin said the state’s bipartisan commission for nominating judicial nominees was ignored by the Trump White House. But Chairman Charles E. Grassley, Iowa Republican, held a hearing on Mr. Brennan on Wednesday, suggesting...

The Judiciary Committee voted Thursday to approve Greg Katsas, one of President Trump’s White House lawyers, for a spot on the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., overcoming complaints from Democrats who said they feared putting a Trump ally on the court that hears many big federal law cases. Mr. Katsas now moves to the Senate floor for final confirmation after the 11-9 party-line committee vote. Mr. Katsas served as deputy White House counsel since January, advising the president on his travel ban policy, his voter integrity commission, the challenges to Mr. Trump’s business arrangements under the Constitution’s...

The Senate on Wednesday confirmed a second woman this week to a federal appeals court seat and voted to head off a Democratic filibuster of yet a third female. Senators voted 60-38 to confirm Michigan Supreme Court Justice Joan Larsen for a seat on the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, then voted 56-42 to head off a filibuster for Colorado Supreme Court Justice Alison Eid, the president’s pick to fill Justice Neil M. Gorsuch’s old seat on the 10th Circuit.

The Senate confirmed a Catholic woman Tuesday to sit on an appeals court seat over the opposition of Democrats, sparking complaints from Republicans who said they fear some in the chamber are imposing religious tests that would deny faithful Catholics a chance at judgeships. Amy Coney Barrett, a law professor at the University of Notre Dame, was cleared on a 55 to 43 vote, with all of the opposition coming from members of the Democratic Caucus. Just three Democrats joined the GOP in backing her nomination to the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals: Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia,...

Thomas Farr moved one step closer to being a U.S. District judge for the Eastern District of North Carolina on Thursday over protests from the Congressional Black Caucus and several progressive groups who say he has worked to defend discriminatory laws. The SenateJudiciary Committee voted down party lines, 11 to 9, to clear Mr. Farr for a confirmation vote with the full Senate. But before the committee’s vote on Thursday, the top ranking Democrat Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California voiced opposition to the North Carolina attorney, citing the Congressional Black Caucus’ letter to the committee alleging Mr. Farr has worked...