The Senate approved its first circuit judge nomination of the year on Tuesday.
Senators voted 95-0 on Kara Stoll's nomination to be a U.S. circuit court judge for the federal circuit, making her the first Hispanic woman to be approved for the court.
Speaking ahead of the Senate's vote, Sen. Patrick Leahy
Patrick Joseph LeahyHillicon Valley: Russia 'amplifying' concerns around mail-in voting to undermine election | Facebook and Twitter take steps to limit Trump remarks on voting | Facebook to block political ads ahead of election Top Democrats press Trump to sanction Russian individuals over 2020 election interference efforts Furlough canceled for 13,000 immigration services workers MORE (D-Vt.) called Stoll "superbly qualified."
Democrats say that Stoll is an example of what they suggest is a slow pace of votes on judicial nominations under the Republican Senate.
"One circuit court nominee in more than six months is an embarrassment. That puts the Senate on pace to confirm fewer than four circuit court nominees this entire Congress," said Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid
Harry Mason ReidBottom line Filibuster fight looms if Democrats retake Senate Biden unites Democrats — for now MORE (D-Nev.).
The Nevada Democrat argued that Obama's nominees "aren't getting a fair shake," adding that "by any objective measure the Republican Senate is failing in their basic constitutional responsibility to provide advice and consent."
Democrats argue that by this point in 2007 they had confirmed a greater number of judicial nominees for then-President George W. Bush — 21 — who was also in the final two years of his second term.
Leahy said that Democrats aren't "asking for anything special but we're saying it would be kind of nice if Republicans treated Democrats the same way we treated them."
But in prepared remarks sent out by Sen. Chuck Grassley
Charles (Chuck) Ernest GrassleySenate Democrats take step toward vote on overturning Trump's payroll-tax deferral Trump payroll tax deferral finds few takers among businesses Democrats flubbed opportunity to capitalize on postal delays MORE's office, the Iowa Republican, and chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee said that Obama's nominees are "being treated extremely fairly."
He added that overall, Obama has had 312 judicial nominees confirmed, compared to 279 nominees for Bush by this point in 2007.
Grassley's remarks were for the Congressional Record, a daily rundown of legislative action and speeches in Congress.