Des Moines Sun

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) announced the Senate's confirmation of Whitney D. Hermandorfer as a United States Circuit Judge for the Sixth Circuit. Hermandorfer was confirmed with a 46-42 vote, marking her as the first judicial nominee to be confirmed during the 119th Congress.

"Whitney Hermandorfer’s confirmation is a boon to the federal judiciary. As the Director of the Strategic Litigation Unit in Tennessee, she’s led major cases on civil rights and the separation of powers and is widely praised for her legal mind, impeccable qualifications, collegial nature and constitutionalist philosophy. I was proud to lead Ms. Hermandorfer’s nomination through the Senate Judiciary Committee and am confident she will be an excellent federal judge," Grassley said.

Grassley expressed determination to continue confirming President Trump's nominees despite what he described as "Democrat obstruction." He noted that over 80 percent of judicial nominees in the Judiciary Committee last Congress received bipartisan support.

"In the first six months of the 119th Congress, Senate Republicans have confirmed 21 members of President Trump’s Cabinet, putting his team in place faster than the last three incoming administrations; confirmed 89 of President Trump’s civilian nominees, outpacing the first Trump administration; and confirmed 12 ambassador nominees, which is more than incoming Biden, first Trump and George W. Bush administrations."

The current Congress has seen significant activity with ten straight weeks of voting at its start – a record stretch not seen in over fifteen years. The Senate has been active for 24 out of 27 weeks this year, holding more roll call votes than any other Congress at this stage in over three decades.