Free Republic

The Senate confirmed President Trump’s ninth judicial nominee to the liberal 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday, elevating Patrick Bumatay, an openly gay Filipino man, to the federal bench over objections from his liberal home-state senators. Mr. Bumatay, who has worked as an assistant U.S. attorney for the Southern District of California, cleared the Senate by a 53-40 party-line vote. He did not have support from California Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Kamala D. Harris, who said the White House never consulted with them about the nominee. “Patrick Bumatay lacks the knowledge and experience necessary for the 9th Circuit....

A San Diego federal prosecutor was confirmed by the Senate Tuesday to a seat on the influential 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. In a 53-40 vote, Patrick Bumatay became the 49th circuit appointee to be confirmed under the Trump administration, part of a steady drive by Republicans to remake the federal bench with conservative jurists. It is an especially sweet victory for the administration given the 9th Circuit’s liberal lean, which has made it a prime spot for the president’s foes to challenge his policies. President Donald Trump has often complained about being treated unfairly by the nation’s largest...