Trump to Fill More Than 100 Judicial Vacancies, Reshape Courts

The number, which does not include the opening on the U.S. Supreme Court, is almost double the 54 open judicial openings President Barack Obama was faced with when he took over eight years ago, the newspaper noted.

Once the GOP took control of the Senate in 2015, confirmation of Obama's judicial nominees was slowed, according to the Post.

Now, as an incoming Republican president, Trump will be able to make lifetime appointments to the bench, who will decide on issues including state gun control laws, abortion restrictions, voter registration and immigration.

"I'm optimistic he'll come at this right out of the gate," said Carrie Severino, chief counsel and policy director of the conservative Judicial Crisis Network, per the Post.

"Every president can expect to make a huge impact. [Trump] is unique in having campaigned really hard on this issue — the significance of the courts, and of the Supreme Court in particular."

Politico reported the Republican Senate set a modern day record for the fewest confirmations of the lifetime judicial appointees.

The Senate confirmed only 20 Obama judicial appointments to district and appeals courts in the past two years — the lowest number in the past 28 years, according to a report obtained by the website.

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http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/Trump-Judicial-System-Vacancies/2016/12/26/id/765585