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WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on President Donald Trump's judicial nominees (all times local):
5:45 p.m.
The Senate has voted to confirm Don Willett, a justice on the Texas Supreme Court, to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
Willett is the 11th circuit court judge to be confirmed this year. The Senate confirmed him Wednesday on a 50-47 vote.
Senate Republicans are determined to get President Donald Trump's nominees confirmed quickly, a priority of many conservative voters.
President Barack Obama had three circuit judges approved in his first year in office.
Willett was appointed to the Texas Supreme Court in 2005 and then elected to that position in 2006 and 2012. Prior to joining the court, Willett served as deputy attorney general in Texas.
Democrats opposing Willett said he had a conservative agenda that would be reflected in his decisions.
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5:30 p.m.
One of President Donald Trump's nominees for federal judge has been withdrawn, the first failed judicial pick for the Republican president.
White House officials said Wednesday the nomination of Brett Talley for U.S. District Court in Alabama was withdrawn. Talley has never argued a case in court and was rated "unanimously unqualified" by the American Bar Association, was withdrawn.
The selection had faced criticism from Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, the Republican chairman of the Judiciary Committee.
Another nominee, Jeff Mateer, also was going nowhere. A person familiar with the process said the administration hasn't submitted paperwork for the nomination to the Senate and does not intend to. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to describe internal deliberations.
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