Huffington Magazine Issue 51 | Page 7

Enter POINTERS AP PHOTO/PABLO MARTINEZ MONSIVAIS OBAMA SET TO MAKE 1 CRITICAL APPOINTMENTS HUFFINGTON 06.02.13 President Obama is expected to nominate three judges to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, which is viewed as almost as powerful as the Supreme Court. There are currently more than 80 empty federal judge slots across the U.S. The president’s nominees have had to wait an average of 116 days for a confirmation vote, three times longer than the average wait time for President George W. Bush’s nominees, due largely to congressional gridlock. He has also nominated judges at a slower pace than past presidents, partly because GOP senators have declined to give him nominees to choose from.