Biden Nominees Advance as Butler Debuts on Judiciary Committee

Newly appointed Sen. Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.) made her debut on the Judiciary Committee, which cast bipartisan votes that sent four trial court nominees to the full chamber for consideration.

The panel on Thursday approved subcommittee assignments for Butler, who’s replaced the late Dianne Feinstein. California maintains its influential presence on the panel as Butler joins fellow Democrat Sen. Alex Padilla.

Padilla, who was absent from the Thursday meeting due to Covid, voted by proxy on the district court nominees advancing with favorable recommendations.

John Kazen, a magistrate judge who’s President Joe Biden’s first district nominee in Texas, advanced on a voice vote for a seat on the court based in Houston.

Judiciary Chair Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) acknowledged the bipartisan negotiations behind Kazen’s nomination to the US District Court for the Southern District of Texas, noting he had the support of both Republican Sens. Ted Cruz and John Cornyn.

“For those people who think Washington is completely broken and we can’t work together—we somehow hate each other, I just want to reassure that it’s just some of the time that’s the case, but not in this case,” Cornyn said.

Three blue state trial court nominees also advanced with Republican votes, including Micah Smith and Shanlyn Park for the District of Hawaii and Jamel Semper for the District of New Jersey.

Two nominees who saw heightened Republican scrutiny at their confirmation hearings were held over as Padilla’s absence impaired the panel’s Democratic majority, with neither expected to receive Republican support. They include Eumi Lee for the San-Francisco-based Northern District of California and Mustafa Kasubhai for the District of Oregon.

The committee is left at 10 members for Democrats and Republicans, respectively. Nominees can’t advance on tie votes should a tally fall along party lines.

Butler was named chair of the Judiciary subcommittee on the Constitution. She was appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom to replace Feinstein, the first woman to serve on the committee and first to serve as its top Democrat.