
Senate Democrats advanced three of President Joe Biden’s judicial nominees along party lines Thursday after weeks of delay due to California Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s extended absence.
With Feinstein back in the Senate, and voting in the committee, the panel approved three federal district court judge nominations that had been stalled: Charnelle Bjelkengren of Washington state, S. Kato Crews of Colorado and Marian Gaston of California. Feinstein’s 10-week absence recovering from shingles meant that the committee’s votes were tied along party lines and Democrats could not move forward with any nominees without Republican support.