Trump has just announced his nominee to replace Brett Kavanaugh on the DC Circuit Court of Appeals:
New: President Trump announced he is nominating Neomi Rao, Administrator, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, to be Brett Kavanaugh's replacement on the DC Circuit Court of Appeals (a very powerful position)
— Meridith McGraw (@meridithmcgraw) November 13, 2018
Whoa. Trump’s deregulation leader Neomi Rao to the federal court — to assume seat vacated by Kavnanaugh
— Debra J. Saunders (@debrajsaunders) November 13, 2018
Pres marks Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights by lighting the Diya lamp. Hails contributions of Indian-American members of his Administration, including Neomi Rao, announcing he is nominating her to fill the seat on the DC Circuit Court of Appeals vacated by Justice Kavanaugh. pic.twitter.com/YEdjCKdcyT
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) November 13, 2018
OIRA Administrator Neomi Rao, center, looks on as others around her react as President Donald Trump announces that he has nominated her to fill the seat vacated by Brett Kavanaugh on the US Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit during a ceremonial lighting of the Diya. pic.twitter.com/msr7djfZmn
— Doug Mills (@dougmillsnyt) November 13, 2018
Since you may not have heard her name before, here’s a little more information about Neomi Rao from Free Beacon:
Rao, 45, serves currently as the administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, making her the “regulatory czar” of the Trump administration. From that position, she has been responsible for what Politico characterized as the “deconstruction of the administrative state.” In her first year, Rao told the Free Beacon in an interview in May, OIRA has cut 22 regulations for every one it imposed, saving the taxpayers some $8 billion in fiscal year 2017 alone.
Prior to joining OIRA, Rao founded and was the first director of the Center for the Study of the Administrative State at George Mason University, as well as a law professor at the university’s Antonin Scalia Law School. She also clerked for Supreme Court justice Clarence Thomas, whom Politico referred to as her political mentor.
Sounds like she has pretty good accolades. Hugh Hewitt agrees:
Great morning, @POTUS @realDonaldTrump, to announce Neomi Rao as your nominee for the D.C. Circuit to fill vacancy created by confirmation of Justice Kavanaugh. Send so many messages at once.
— Hugh Hewitt (@hughhewitt) November 7, 2018
This was one reason keeping control of the Senate was so important. Trump can still nominate good judges to the courts and get them seated. So while the Democrats at the House level will try and make Trump’s life a living hell temporarily, he can make more lasting and substantive changes to the courts. I would imagine he’ll be nominating a lot more people over the next two years.