This excerpt is from a piece that originally ran on December 31, 2022.
The Democrats’ Senate majority remains narrow, which could still present challenges in efforts to swiftly confirm judicial nominees. Just two absences or Democratic “no” votes could be enough to quash a confirmation. Kimberly Humphrey, legal director for federal courts at the Alliance for Justice, said Democrats’ 51-49 majority is “by no means a slam dunk”, even as she emphasized the importance of Warnock’s victory.
To help ease the confirmation process for some nominees, Humphrey’s group and other progressive organizations have called on Senate Democrats to reconsider the practice of “blue slips”.