Senate committee passes SC judge’s nomination to U.S. Court of Appeals

COLUMBIA, S.C. (FOX Carolina) -The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced South Carolina judge DeAndrea Benjamin’s nomination to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit on Thursday.

The committee voted 13-9 in favor of advancing the nomination. Senator Lindsey Graham from South Carolina and Senator Thom Tillis from North Carolina were among those who voted in favor of her nomination.

Benjamin’s nomination will now head to the full Senate for another vote.

Following Thursday’s vote, U.S. House Majority Whip James Clyburn released the following statement.

“I am pleased with the Senate Judiciary Committee’s bipartisan vote today to send Judge DeAndrea Benjamin’s nomination to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit to the full Senate for consideration. I appreciate Senators Lindsey Graham and Thom Tillis’ support of her nomination. Judge Benjamin has served our state courts with distinction and she is well qualified to serve on this esteemed court.

“The Senate has confirmed 90 federal judges nominated by President Biden over the last two years, and nearly half of these confirmations have been women of color. It is my hope that Judge Benjamin can receive Senate confirmation before the end of this year and add to the growing diversity of the federal judiciary.”

President Biden nominated Benjamin to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in August.

Before the nomination, Benjamin had served as a judge on the South Carolina Fifth Judicial Circuit since 2011. She was also a partner at Gist Law Firm from 2001 to 2011 and had experience as a municipal court judge for the City of Columbia.

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