TRANSCRIPT: Majority Leader Chuck Schumer Delivers Remarks At White House Celebrating The Most Lifetime Judges Confirmed To The Federal Bench Under Any Recent President In A Single Term

Washington, D.C. – Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke at a press conference with President Joe Biden and Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) on the confirmation of 235 judges to the federal bench, the most lifetime judges confirmed under any recent President in a single term. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks, which can also be viewed here:

First, let me begin by thanking President Biden. We are here today because of your leadership, Mr. President.

With President Biden working by our side, Senate Democrats have confirmed 235 judges—more than any majority has confirmed in decades. This is historic!

We’ve confirmed more judges than were confirmed under the previous administration, something no one thought we could do! In fact, we confirmed more judges than under any administration going back decades.

When people look back at the most consequential accomplishments of the last four years, two things will stand out: the legislation we passed between 2021 and 2022, and the historic judges we confirmed to the bench. These are amazing accomplishments!

Even more importantly, these judges come just in time. Our democracy faces an uncertain future, and many people are rightly worried.

We hear incoming leaders say things about undercutting the wellsprings of our democracy that make many Americans anxious.

The good news is that these judges will be a barrier against attacks against on our democratic institutions. At the district level, these judges will have the first and often decisive impact on cases involving voting rights and elections and democracy writ large.

Thanks to these judges, it is now far more likely today than it was just a few years ago that these attacks on democracy will be blunted.

In short, these judges will be the shield that protects our democracy.

So thank you, thank you President Biden for leading the way in strengthening the bench. It couldn’t have happened without you. You helped us construct a federal bench that will not only protect our institutions, but also better reflects America itself.

I also want to thank Chairman Durbin for his outstanding work over the last four years. He certainly was, as we say in Brooklyn, a noodge. That’s a good word! Without Chairman Durbin, we could not have confirmed so many judges in such a short amount of time. He’s been an excellent and diligent partner every step of the way. I want to thank all of his staff, the judiciary staff, and my staff—Evan who is here, my great Counsel—for the great job they have done.

I want to thank Vice President Harris, who helped us confirm many of these nominees by a deciding vote. Many of them were fifty-fifty, and without her being here—and she had to change her schedule, often with a last minute notice—it might not have happened. 

Finally, thank you to all my colleagues, on both sides of the aisle, as Senator Durbin noted. We did have some support from a group of Republican Senators, and that helped us. So we thank them as well.

Now, it is my pleasure, my sincere pleasure, to turn it over to the person who has led the way in this great effort, our President, Joe Biden.

Mr. President, what you have done in confirming a record number of judges will be one the most important hallmarks of your legacy, which is of course very large and impressive. Thank you for your leadership all these many years.

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