Skip to content

Senate Judiciary Committee Advances President Biden's First Slate of Judicial Nominees

Durbin: Each of these nominees will be ready to deliver equal justice under the law from day one

WASHINGTON – The Senate Judiciary Committee today advanced the nominations of Ketanji Brown Jackson, to be United States Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia Circuit; Candace Jackson-Akiwumi, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Seventh Circuit; Julien Xavier Neals, to be United States District Judge for the District of New Jersey; Zahid N. Quraishi, to be United States District Judge for the District of New Jersey; and Regina M. Rodriguez, to be United States District Judge for the District of Colorado.  Ahead of the votes, U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, spoke on how these five qualified nominees will bring much-needed professional and demographic diversity to the judicial branch.  All five nominees were rated “Well Qualified” by the American Bar Association, the highest rating possible for nominees.

“These nominees will bring to the bench outstanding credentials and experience, and a variety of professional perspectives that have been underrepresented many times in the Judiciary.  And, of critical importance, these nominees fundamentally understand the role a federal judge plays: apply the law to the facts, without consideration of politics or ideology, so they can make evenhanded and fair-minded judgments,” Durbin said.

Video of Durbin’s statement is available here.

Audio of Durbin’s statement is available here.

Footage of Durbin’s statement is available here for TV Stations. 

Ketanji Brown Jackson, nominee to be United States Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia Circuit, was advanced out of Committee by a vote of 13-9 with Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and John Cornyn (R-TX) voting “aye” with all Committee Democrats. 

Candace Jackson-Akiwumi, nominee to be United States Circuit Judge for the Seventh Circuit, was advanced out of Committee by a vote of 12-10 with Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) voting “aye” with all Committee Democrats. 

Julien Xavier Neals, nominee to be United States District Judge for the District of New Jersey, was advanced out of Committee by a vote of 16-6 with Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), John Cornyn (R-TX), John Kennedy (R-LA), and Thom Tillis (R-NC) voting “aye” with all Committee Democrats.

Zahid N. Quraishi, nominee to be United States District Judge for the District of New Jersey, was advanced out of Committee by a vote of 19-3 with Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), John Cornyn (R-TX), Mike Lee (R-UT), Tom Cotton (R-AR), John Kennedy (R-LA), Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) voting “aye” with all Committee Democrats.

Regina M. Rodriguez, nominee to be United States District Judge for the District of Colorado, was advanced out of Committee by a vote of 17-5 with Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), John Cornyn (R-TX), John Kennedy (R-LA), Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) voting “aye” with all Committee Democrats.

-30-