For four years, Donald Trump and Senate Republicans hijacked our federal judiciary: three right-wing U.S. Supreme Court justices, 54 appellate circuit court judges, and 174 district court judges.

These lifetime appointments have done serious damage to our fundamental rights—from the repeal of Roe v. Wade to gun safety measures and environmental protections. Lower court Trump appointees are also now a farm team for future right-wing Supreme Court justices.

Now that Democrats have retained a Senate majority, President Joe Biden and the Senate can (and must) confirm more judges. In his first two years as president, Biden confirmed Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court, 26 circuit court judges, and 68 judges to the federal district court. That put a dent in undoing the damage from Trump, but not enough.

Right now, there are seventy-nine vacancies on the federal judiciary—and another thirty "upcoming" vacancies where judges intend to retire. Experts estimate there may be up to 85 additional vacancies in the coming years as well. If President Biden and Senate Democrats mobilize now, it is possible to save our federal judiciary for generations.