Republican Senator Prevents Confirmation of Montana’s First Native American Federal Judge

In a controversial move, Republican Senator Steve Daines of Montana has blocked the nomination of Danna Jackson, a Native American attorney, as the state’s first federal district court judge. Jackson, who was nominated by President Joe Biden, would have been a historic appointment for Montana.

According to Daines’ spokesperson, the senator objected to Jackson’s nomination because the Biden administration did not seek his consent prior to the nomination. Daines believes that confirming federal judges with lifetime tenure is a crucial decision and that nominees must be trusted not to legislate from the bench.

However, a White House spokesperson refuted this claim, stating that Daines’ team had interviewed Jackson last year but the senator refused to meet with her. The spokesperson called Daines’ lack of consultation a pretext and criticized him for depriving Montana of a talented and impartial jurist like Jackson.

The opposition to Jackson’s nomination highlights the lack of diversity among federal judges, with the majority being white men. Out of over 1,400 federal judges, only a small percentage are Native American, despite Native Americans making up almost 3% of the U.S. population.

Jackson, who previously served in the U.S. Department of Interior and as chief legal counsel for the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, was supported by Montana’s senior U.S. senator, Democrat Jon Tester, and various Native American organizations. Despite this setback, the Senate recently confirmed the 200th federal judge of Biden’s tenure.