The Senate Judiciary Committee has advanced the nomination of Ryan Park, North Carolina’s solicitor general, to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. The committee’s decision on Thursday moved Park’s nomination to the Senate floor in an 11-10 vote along party lines, marking a critical step amidst efforts by Democrats to confirm President Joe Biden’s remaining judicial candidates during the current session.
Park’s nomination has encountered opposition, notably from Senator Thom Tillis, a Republican from North Carolina, who criticized the White House for allegedly neglecting his objections. Despite this, Sen. Richard Durbin, the committee’s chair, contends that the administration engaged sufficiently with North Carolina officials before advancing Park’s nomination.
With his legal career including service in the U.S. State Department and clerking for Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and David Souter, Park also defended race-based admissions policies at the University of North Carolina in the notable Supreme Court case, Students for Fair Admissions v. UNC. His nomination is now set alongside others awaiting a Senate floor vote, including Karla Campbell for the Sixth Circuit and Julia Lipez for the First Circuit. For further details, read more about the proceedings in the original article.