Sen. Schumer, confirm Biden’s judges before the clock runs out (Guest Opinion by Brett Edkins)

Brett Edkins, of Manlius, is managing director for policy and political affairs for Stand Up America, a New York-based progressive organization with nearly 2 million members nationwide.
Senate Democrats have one last chance to protect our federal courts and our rights before Donald Trump reclaims the presidency on Jan. 20, 2025. With Republicans set to control both the House and Senate next year, the clock is ticking to confirm President Joe Biden’s judicial nominees. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer needs to do everything in his power — including canceling holiday breaks — to confirm every last judicial nominee before time runs out.
The stakes could not be higher. In his first term, Trump reshaped the federal judiciary, appointing 231 judges to lifetime seats, including three Supreme Court justices and 54 appeals court judges. Like Trump’s recently announced Cabinet nominees, many of these judges were objectively unqualified, but were picked for their loyalty to Trump and the Republican Party. Competence took a backseat. Since then, Trump’s judges have relentlessly attacked abortion access, undermined our freedom to vote, and blocked common-sense gun safety measures. Trump judges have gutted environmental regulations and tried to ban mifepristone nationwide. With Trump returning to the White House and Republicans regaining control of the Senate, any vacancies left on Jan. 20, 2025, will be filled by Trump and his handpicked MAGA judges.
Dozens of judicial vacancies remain and at least 13 nominees are stuck in senatorial purgatory, waiting on Sen. Richard Durbin to call a vote in the Judiciary Committee or Schumer to schedule a vote of the full Senate. Former Utica congressman Anthony Brindisi and Elizabeth Coombe, a federal prosecutor in Syracuse, face an uncertain future before the full Senate after their nominations to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York advanced out of the Senate Judiciary Committee last week.
While Senate Democrats have already made historic progress, confirming more than 220 of Biden’s judicial nominees, every unfilled seat is a gift to Trump and his MAGA agenda.
Judges hold their seats for life. They decide cases and interpret the law without any checks or input from the American people. Their decisions touch every aspect of our lives — from abortion and health care to worker protections and civil rights. With so much at stake, the Senate can’t afford to recess for weekends or holiday breaks, nor can it entertain backroom deals that leave critical judicial seats vacant. Every remaining day of this Congress must be spent confirming fair-minded, qualified, and diverse judges who will defend the rule of law and protect our rights.
To be sure, this will be a heavy lift. Each nomination and vote eats up precious Senate floor time. Senate rules require two hours of debate for each district court nominee and 30 hours for each appeals court nominee. Adding to the challenge, Schumer seems to have prematurely given up on filling four critical U.S. Court of Appeals seats. Senators are, no doubt, banging on Schumer’s door, urging him to adjourn early for the holidays, so they can enjoy time with their friends and family. But to any Democrat running for the exits, booking plane tickets or longing for Christmas on the beach, this is no time for a vacation, and no time for political compromises that give Trump the chance to appoint more extreme judges.
If Democrats take their foot off the gas, the consequences will be disastrous. We’ve already seen Trump’s judges overturn Roe v. Wade, strike down New York’s commonsense gun safety measures, put guns with bump stocks back on the streets and halt climate action. Letting Trump fill additional seats will solidify a judiciary hostile to democracy, justice, and equality for generations to come.
The American people are counting on Senate Democrats to act. Many of us are angry, scared and deeply worried about the future of our country. Filling these judicial vacancies is one of the most impactful actions our senators can take right now to protect our democracy. Sen. Schumer, please finish the job.