Will Republicans Again Stop Obama From Putting Gay Man on Appeals Court?

The first time that President Obama nominated a gay man for the federal appeals court, the nominee went without a confirmation hearing for so long that he withdrew.

Obama today announced more nominees for the bench and one of them, Todd Hughes, presents a chance to break through a long-standing glass ceiling in the judicial branch.

Obama said Hughes and today's other pick, Raymond T. Chen, "displayed exceptional dedication to public service throughout their careers."

Edmund Dumont had been Obama's selection in 2010 for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, which is often considered a prime place to find potential Supreme Court justices. The court hears cases based not on geography but instead on whether the subjects include  lawsuits against the government or patent law. Dumont withdrew his name from consideration and blamed Republicans in the Senate for denying him a vote.

"Although I was first nominated more the 18 months ago, the Senate Judiciary Committee has not held a hearing on my nomination," he wrote in a letter to the president in November 2011. "My understanding is that this inaction results from opposition on the part of one or more members of the Committee minority. While I regret this, I also recognize that any degree of opposition can be enough, as a practical matter, to prevent action by the full Committee or the Senate. Given the passage of time, that appears to be the case here."

The Human Rights Campaign praised the pick of Hughes in this next round with the Senate, pointing out it had recommended him — a deputy director in the Civil Division of the Department of Justice — for an appointment in the Federal Circuit in 2010.

The complete biography for Hughes provided by the White House is on the following page.