Weird how Obama left so many vacancies, I guess he thought Hillary was going to win?
Almost unnoticed by the media, eight more Trump appointees were confirmed to the federal bench.
As of December 5, 2019, the United States Senate has confirmed 172 Article III judges nominated by President Trump, including 2 Associate Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States, 48 judges for the United States Courts of Appeals, 120 judges for the United States District Courts, and 2 judges for the United States Court of International Trade.
There are currently 48 nominations to Article III courts awaiting Senate action, including 4 for the Courts of Appeals, 43 for the District Courts and 1 for the Court of International Trade. There is currently 1 vacancy on the U.S. Courts of Appeals, 79 vacancies on the U.S. District Courts, 2 vacancies on the U.S. Court of International Trade, and 16 announced federal judicial vacancies that will occur before the end of Trump's first term (3 for the Courts of Appeals and 13 for District Courts). Trump has not made any recess appointments to the federal courts.
In terms of Article I courts, as of December 5, 2019, the Senate has confirmed 13 judges nominated by Trump, including 3 for the United States Court of Federal Claims, 4 for the United States Tax Court, 4 for the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, 1 for the United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, and 1 for the United States Court of Military Commission Review.
There are currently 13 nominations to Article I courts awaiting Senate action, including 7 for the United States Court of Federal Claims and 4 for the Tax Court and 2 for the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. There are currently 8 vacancies on the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, 2 on the U.S. Tax Court, 0 on the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, 0 on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Services, and 0 on the U.S. Court of Military Commission Review. Trump designated Susan G. Braden and Margaret M. Sweeney as chief judges of the Court of Federal Claims.
