When the Senate Judiciary Committee advanced three more judicial nominees to the Senate floor yesterday, the number of judges waiting to be confirmed went from nine to 12. There is no reason to push them off till next year. In fact, there is every reason to confirm them now, before senators end the 113th Congress and head home.

One of the three nominees advanced yesterday, Joan Azrack, would fill a vacancy in New York that the Administrative Office of U.S. Courts has formally designated a judicial emergency. That means there simply aren't enough judges there to get the work done in a timely manner. For Americans who count on having their day in court, that fundamental right is being undermined every day this vacancy remains unfilled.

Elizabeth Dillon would be the first woman to serve as a federal judge in Virginia's Western District. In fact, she would be the first federal judge in that district who isn't a white man. Why wait until next year to break that barrier?

Loretta Biggs would be the first African American woman federal judge in North Carolina. In fact, the state has only had two African American federal judges in its history, and neither of them is still in active service. While Biggs has the support of both her home state senators, we don't know if that would be true next year, when Republican Thom Tillis replaces Kay Hagan.

Why would anyone force a long and unnecessary delay on confirming these three highly qualified nominees, or the nine others who could have been confirmed weeks ago?