President Donald Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) have worked to fill federal judicial vacancies at a record pace. However, the coronavirus outbreak has put a hold on the confirmation process for now.
During an interview on Hugh Hewitt’s radio show on Wednesday, McConnell was asked when the Senate would resume confirmation hearings for federal judges.
“Well, the current plan is to go back in session on May the 4th. I haven’t seen anything that would discourage me from doing that,” McConnell said, adding, “And as soon as we get back in session, we’ll start confirming judges again.”
He continued, “We need to have hearings, and we need to confirm judges. Hugh, you and I have discussed this before. My motto for the year is leave no vacancy behind. That hasn’t changed. The pandemic will not prevent us from achieving that goal.”
Listen to the interview below:
As of April 1, the Senate has confirmed more than 190 judicial nominees nominated by Trump, and there are 81 vacancies with 42 nominees awaiting confirmation hearings.
During a November rally in Kentucky with the president, McConnell touted his success confirming Trump’s nominees and shaping the federal judiciary.
“Nobody’s done more to change the court system in the history of our country than Donald Trump,” McConnell said.
He added, “And Mr. President, we’re going to keep on doing it. My motto is leave no vacancy behind.”
However, the confirmation hearings have been put on hold for the time being because of the coronavirus outbreak. Lawmakers have left Washington, D.C., and are set to return on May 4.
While Congress has left town, the Senate has been holding pro forma sessions as lawmakers negotiated a new coronavirus relief bill — which means that Congress was not in recess, and Trump could not make recess appointments.
Voicing his frustration at the backlog of nominees and inability to fill positions with recess appointments, Trump threatened to adjourn Congress if both chambers did not agree to either come back to Washington, D.C., or formally recess, as IJR has previously reported.