Washington, DC— Following today’s actions in the Senate, including the confirmation of Holly Thomas to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and the advancement of an additional 12 judicial nominees in the Judiciary Committee, People For the American Way President Ben Jealous released the following statement:

“Today we can celebrate a powerful milestone in the push for balance, diversity and a commitment to equal justice to our federal courts. With the U.S. Senate confirmation of Holly Thomas to the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and the advancement of a dozen additional judicial nominees in Committee, we applaud President Biden, Senator Schumer and Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Dick Durbin for the historic pace at which judicial nominees continue to be nominated and confirmed to the federal bench. The Senate has now confirmed more circuit court nominees than any other president at this point in his term in history. They have also confirmed more lower court judges overall since Kennedy and nearly doubled the first-year pace of judicial confirmations under the previous administration. The Biden administration kept their promise to continue diversifying the federal bench by nominating individuals with a clear and continued dedication to advancing justice and fairness for all, which is perfectly exemplified by Holly Thomas, a Black woman whose work prior to this confirmation includes addressing criminal justice reform at the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, taking on voting rights issues as a senior attorney within the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, and, most recently, serving as a judge on the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles. We congratulate Holly Thomas on her confirmation, the Biden administration on their historic efforts, and the numerous nominees on their advancement in the judicial confirmation process. We look forward to more excellent confirmations from the Senate in weeks to come.”

About People For the American Way

People For the American Way is a progressive advocacy organization founded to fight right-wing extremism and build a democratic society that implements the ideals of freedom, equality, opportunity and justice for all. We encourage civic participation, defend fundamental rights, and fight to dismantle systemic barriers to equitable opportunity. Learn more: https://www.pfaw.org