Senate Republicans Confirm Trump Appointee Whitney Hermandorfer

After the passage of a significant legislative bill, Senate Republicans are now turning their attention to confirming President Donald Trump’s judicial nominees.

The Senate confirmed Whitney Hermandorfer on Monday evening to serve on the Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati, Ohio. This confirmation comes as the Senate has been moving through the President’s nominees at a much faster pace than during his first term.

“Our goal is to continue the progress we initiated during the first Trump administration by appointing judges who align with our understanding of their proper role,” said a Senate Republican, noting Hermandorfer’s nomination specifically.

Hermandorfer, who is 38, is Trump’s first judicial appointee of his second term, taking the place of a judge appointed by former President Barack Obama.

Currently, there are approximately 50 vacancies in the federal judiciary, a significant reduction from the number that was unfilled at the start of Trump’s first term.

Senator Thune mentioned that he would collaborate with Trump and Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Chuck Grassley to expedite the confirmation process for Trump’s nominees. So far, the committee has advanced five of these nominations, including Hermandorfer’s.

Before this, Hermandorfer worked for Supreme Court Justices Samuel Alito and Amy Coney Barrett, as well as Judge Brett Kavanaugh during his time on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.

She is currently leading litigation efforts in the office of Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti, who recently achieved a notable victory related to Tennessee’s legislation regarding child sex change procedures.

When announcing her nomination in May, Trump referred to Hermandorfer as “a strong advocate for women and women’s sports.”

However, Senate Democrats expressed opposition to Hermandorfer’s confirmation. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer characterized her as “not qualified for the bench,” arguing she had built her career working against reproductive rights, transgender rights, and anti-discrimination measures.

The vote for Hermandorfer’s confirmation marked the 384th roll-call vote since the 119th Congress began in January, a total that significantly exceeds that of prior sessions across the last 35 years, according to the Senate Republican Communication Center.