Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Donald Trump have each appointed federal judges during their first four years in office. Trump set a modern record with 231 appointments, some of which have issued decisions that could make it harder to get birth control and legal protections for LGBTQ people. Joe Biden has tried to outpace Trump with his own appointments, but he will have to pick up the pace to keep up. This effort is being hindered by the Senate committee that confirms judges being deadlocked at ten Republicans and ten Democrats due to the absence of Senator Dianne Feinstein, who has been in the hospital for two months. Democrats do not have a majority unless Feinstein either comes back, resigns and is replaced, or Republicans let Democrats replace her temporarily. So far, none of these have happened.