Senator Judiciary Committee will review several nominees for judicial office by President Biden. Ted Cruz, R.Texas., stated last year that they were “extremists. partisans. and radicals” when nominated by the previous Congress, but did not move.

This week, the Senate will meet to discuss the legislative work of Congress 118th. The slim majority of Democrats at 51-49 is expected to make it easier for Biden to confirm his nominees than last year’s 50-50 Senate. Eight of these nominees were protested by Republicans in the last Congress. They cited their record of supporting left-wing causes and approving lenient sentences to violent criminals.

Dale Ho was renominated for New York’s Southern District Court judgeship. Cruz stated that Biden “made a pattern” of “nominating extremists partisans or radicals for administrative and judiciary positions.” Cruz stated that Ho’s record shows “the same pattern of finding someone who is an extreme partisan and radical”.

Cruz noted that Ho, who worked for the ACLU/NAACP, had “tweeted insults” at several members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and that these were “far from being intemperate comments when you were a teenager. Most of these tweets took place last year.”

Cruz stated, “So in 12 months you have engaged -or the last 18 months – in partisan attacks against multiple members of the committee,” before referring to a 2017 tweet by Ho:

“In these difficult times, I have been blessed to find a tremendous sense of purpose through my work as a civil right lawyer. A colleague asked me recently over lunch, “Dale, are you doing this because you want people to help you or because they hate conservatives?” Cruz replied, quoting Ho. He was implying that anger can be a powerful source of power. Righteous anger can give me a sense of moral clarity, and help me to work long hours. It’s only temporary. It won’t last long.”

Ho was asked by the senator how his comments from earlier would convince a conservative judge of his impartiality. Ho claimed that his comments were from a “church conversation”.

Rachel Bloomekatz (an Ohio public interest lawyer, who was nominated last ye to the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals) was another nominee that received criticism from Republicans.

Bloomekatz was brutally questioned by Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) last August for her defense against Brandon Moore, a 15 year-old who beat and participated at gunpoint in the gang rape on a college student. Moore was sentenced at 141 years imprisonment. A trial court found that Moore “couldn’t be rehabilitated.” Bloomekatz, however, argued that Moore should be freed early because he was violating the Eighth Amendment against cruel or unusual punishment.

Bloomekatz defended herself during her hearing by stating that U.S. Supreme Court precedent held that minors should receive different sentencing than adults. Hawley stated that he was unable to comprehend this.

He is a criminal. Hawley stated that he was just 15 when he committed the horrific crimes.

Nusrat Jahan Chaudhury, another nominee, was nominated for a New York District Court. She spent most of her career working as a high-ranking attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). Once, she claimed that unarmed Black men are being killed every day by police.

Choudury, R-La., said that she made the statement in order to make a “rhetorical points” during her advocacy work.

Despite the GOP’s complaints, Democrats believe that they will be able to nominate more judges this year due to the 51-49 split. After Democrats won the majority, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) stated that confirming judges to the bench would not be as difficult if there was a 51-seat majority.

“The practical consequences of the 51-seat majority are huge. It’s significant. It’s a bridge. Schumer stated that we can “breathe a sigh” of relief during a November 2022 press conference.

“It will be much easier for judges and nominees to sit on the bench. We are proud of our record as judges. Schumer stated that it was one of the most important things, perhaps the most impressive of all the things we have done.

“It’s amazing that Republicans were able to use 50-50 Senate to procedurally block so many appointments. Schumer said that it would be much quicker, faster and easier.

To block Biden from confirming his picks, Republicans must get two Democratic “no” votes.