Senate Republicans secured a lifetime federal appeals court seat for Trump ally Justin Smith and advanced over 100 executive branch nominations.
Senate Republicans on Wednesday confirmed Justin D. Smith of Missouri to a lifetime seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit and advanced more than 100 executive branch nominations under a revised procedural framework, delivering back-to-back victories for the Trump administration’s staffing agenda.
The 48-43 confirmation of Smith, a 41-year-old attorney and former chief of staff to Missouri Republican Sen. Eric Schmitt, fills a vacancy on the appeals court that covers seven states in the Midwest and Great Plains. In a separate action, Senate Republicans deployed a streamlined voting process to collectively confirm over 100 executive nominees, marking the largest batch of such approvals since new chamber rules took effect.