Mitch McConnell rams through 8 Trump judges so far this week

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) turned the Senate's focus to confirming a slate of judicial nominees as talks over a fifth coronavirus package are stuck at an impasse.

The Senate confirmed a total of eight judges this week: three on Tuesday, three on Wednesday and two on Thursday.

"Republican Senators, like working families across the country, had hoped the Senate would be spending this week completing more bipartisan pandemic relief," McConnell said from the Senate floor. "Since Democrats are stonewalling pandemic relief, the Senate is using our time to confirm more well-qualified judicial nominees to lifetime positions on the federal bench."

That follows a similar pattern from last week when the Senate confirmed five nominees, making a total of 13 judges who have been confirmed since lawmakers returned from the August recess. Court picks are a top priority for McConnell, who views them as the party's best shot at having a long-term impact on the direction of the country. During the Trump administration, Republicans have set the second-fastest pace for judicial confirmations of any U.S. president....(Read more)

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