WASHINGTON - Senate Republicans confirmed President Donald Trump's twelfth federal appeals court nominee this week, setting a record for the most circuit court picks confirmed in a president's first year.
The Senate’s 53-43 vote makes James Ho, a Taiwanese immigrant, the first Asian-American to serve on the New Orleans-based 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. He was recommended for the position by Texas U.S. Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz.
"I am very glad to see the Senate confirm my good friend Jim Ho to the Fifth Circuit," Cruz said in a statement. "Jim has proven throughout his brilliant career that he is a passionate defender of the Constitution and the rule of law."
Axios writes why this matters:
The federal courts carry significant weight in almost every area of policy: gun rights, executive power, LGBT rights, freedom of religion, etc, and have blocked multiple Trump initiatives in his first year. Trump's picks of young, conservatives judges for the lifetime appointments will far outlast his presidency.
