But some of those customs have been tossed aside, allowing Republicans, who control the Senate, to get their way even when Democrats object. Two-thirds of the new appellate judges failed to win the support of 60 senators, historically a requirement of consensus that was first jettisoned by the Democratic-controlled Senate midway through the Obama administration. They did away with a courtesy that allowed senators to sign off on nominees for courts in their home states. There is a culture of consensus in most appellate courts, and in the cases reviewed by The Times, judges appointed by presidents of both parties agreed with one another the vast majority of times. But when they did not, the Trump appointees made a difference.

Source: New York Times March 14, 2020 10:18 UTC