Senate confirms Trump appellate court nominee Taibleson amid conservative opposition

The U.S. Senate confirmed Rebecca Taibleson to the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in a 52-46 vote mostly along party lines, making her the fourth appeals court nominee appointed by President Donald Trump to be approved. Taibleson, an assistant U.S. attorney from Wisconsin, has clerked for Supreme Court Justices Antonin Scalia and Brett Kavanaugh and testified in support of Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court nomination. Despite her conservative legal background, she faced opposition from some conservative groups due to donations she and her husband made to Democratic and progressive causes, as well as from Democratic Senator Tammy Baldwin, who criticized her refusal to affirm the landmark same-sex marriage ruling during her confirmation hearing. Wisconsin’s Republican Senator Ron Johnson supported her nomination, citing her strong commitment to the Constitution. Taibleson’s confirmation fills the seat left by Judge Diane Sykes, who took senior status earlier in October. The nomination process involved bipartisan input, with both Wisconsin senators recommending candidates to the White House, though Baldwin ultimately withheld her support.