ICYMI: Grassley in Wall Street Journal: Senate Republicans Must Advance and Confirm as Many Pending Judges as Possible

The GOP's Narrow Window to Confirm Judges
By Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa)
November 10, 2026
Wall Street Journal

GOP lawmakers will have their work cut out for them next year fighting socialism's creeping influence in the legislative branch. I'm confident my party will rise to the challenge. But first, Senate Republicans can safeguard our nation's founding principles for generations to come by confirming President Trump's remaining judicial nominees to lifetime appointments on the federal bench.

As the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, I am committed to advancing constitutionalist judges. The committee already has a proven record of efficiency and success this Congress. Under my leadership, the Judiciary Committee has moved judicial confirmations at the fastest pace since the Reagan administration.

Democrats clearly intend to use their newfound power next Congress to wage an obstruction campaign. Blocking Mr. Trump's nominees to the federal courts was one of Minority Leader Chuck Schumer's stated motivations for taking back the Senate. The incoming Democratic chairman of the Judiciary Committee has called for a "hard reset on the nominations process." The stakes are far too high for Republicans to take their feet off the gas now.

I've scheduled two hearings within an eight-day span this month to consider district and appellate nominees. You can expect Democrats to bellyache over the committee's lame-duck schedule, but no one should fall for their theatrics. This isn't unprecedented.

The Judiciary Committee has scheduled nomination hearings within two weeks of each other over three dozen times since the Obama administration. Nearly 70% of those hearings were scheduled by Democratic chairmen. And both Republican and Democratic chairmen have previously scheduled hearings for nominees less than 28 days after receiving their nomination materials. Ultimately, the chairman has discretion to set the committee's schedule.

By year's end, Mr. Trump will have confirmed over 300 lifetime judges across his two terms. I will have shepherded about half of those judges as Judiciary chairman during Mr. Trump's first and second terms. The other half owe their success to the chairmanship of my late colleague, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.).

Republicans can be proud of the work we've done so far to restore the Founders' vision to the federal judiciary. With a limited window left, we must use the lame-duck session to advance and confirm as many pending judges as possible.

Bolstering the federal judiciary is necessary for the American people to see justice served.

-30-

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Post