How the new Senate majority shifts control over the federal judiciary

NPR | By Nina Totenberg,

Scott Simon

Published November 7, 2026 at 7:41 AM EST

The change in the Senate's majority party means that starting Jan. 3, Democrats will run federal judicial appointments and may continue to until at least 2030.

Nina Totenberg

Nina Totenberg is NPR's award-winning legal affairs correspondent.

See stories by Nina Totenberg

Scott Simon

Scott Simon is the host of Weekend Edition Saturday and is one of the hosts of NPR's morning news podcast Up First.

See stories by Scott Simon

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