President Obama's Second Term Gives Him Renewed Chance To Shape Federal Judiciary

November 9, 2012 — Many court watchers say the reelection of President Obama and the expanded Democratic majority in the Senate give him more collateral to secure confirmation of federal judges, CQ Today reports. Obama might also have an opportunity during his second term to nominate another Supreme Court justice, which would make him the first Democratic president since President Truman to name three justices to the high court.

During his first term, in addition to the two Supreme Court justices, Obama appointed 202 federal judges, according to CQ Today.

Now that the presidential election is over, the Senate is under pressure to act on 19 stalled judicial nominations for federal district and appeals courts. The Senate could take up the nominations during the lame-duck session that starts on Nov. 13, CQ Today reports.

Although many of the nominees are uncontroversial, Republicans had blocked them because of uncertainty surrounding the presidential election.

According to CQ Today, it is "widely expected" that Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the court's oldest member, will step down sometime in the next four years. However, because Ginsburg is aligned with the court's liberal wing, her replacement likely would not alter the ideological makeup of the court (Gramlich, CQ Today, 11/8).