Throughout the current Democratic majority’s control of the Senate, the chamber has moved with relative speed on nominations sent from the president, who often has to rely on the Senate’s responsibility to confirm his picks to actually enact his policy agenda across the federal government.
That area of action also includes filling seats on the federal judiciary, where new judges will have the opportunity to exert substantial control over the reading of U.S. law. Biden has prioritized diverse personal and professional backgrounds in making his picks, ensuring that judges can draw from more extensive experience when deciding how various tenets of U.S. law will apply to everyday Americans. For instance, he’s nominated individuals with experience in public defending and who also represent sometimes marginalized groups. The Senate recently confirmed the first Muslim woman for the federal bench.
And getting to the gist of this post, the Senate has also provided confirmation to presidential pick Michael Farbiarz, who will serve as judge in the District of New Jersey. Farbiarz has an extensive professional background, including service in a U.S. Attorney’s office and with the Port Authority, which is an area transportation agency around New York and New Jersey. “These choices also continue to fulfill the President’s promise to ensure that the nation’s courts reflect the diversity that is one of our greatest assets as a country—both in terms of personal and professional backgrounds,” the White House said when announcing Farbiarz’s selection.
A full 65 Senators backed his confirmation, with 34 voting “no.” You’re probably going to be able to guess the names of some of those in the latter category, which included Ted Cruz, Josh Hawley, Rand Paul, Marco Rubio, and Rick Scott, among various other members. The turnaround here was quicker than for some, with Farbiarz’s selection announced late last year.
