Senate Moves to Confirm Trump Nominee for Crucial 9th Circuit

Eric D. Miller, nominated to be U.S. circuit judge for the Ninth Circuit, attends a judicial nomination hearing held by the Senate Judiciary Committee in Washington on Oct. 24, 2018. Win McNamee/Getty Images

Eric Miller, President Donald Trump’s nominee for the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, is heading for confirmation by the U.S. Senate as the first such nominee ever to gain approval without a home-state senator’s blue slip.

In a Feb. 26 statement headlined “Senate to Confirm Impressive Nominee for Ninth Circuit,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) described Miller as having a “distinguished record in both public service and private practice.”