WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate confirmed Sara E. Hill, the Cherokee Nation’s former attorney general, as the first Native American woman to serve as a federal judge for Oklahoma. The vote was 52-14, marking a significant moment in U.S. judicial history with only a handful of Native Americans appointed to lifetime judicial positions.
Despite opposition from some of Oklahoma’s top GOP officials, Hill garnered support from the state’s two Republican U.S. senators, James Lankford and Markwayne Mullin, securing her confirmation. Lankford emphasized Hill’s commitment to upholding the United States Constitution above all else and representing all Oklahomans on the federal bench.
Several Republican senators, including Susan Collins, Chuck Grassley, and Lisa Murkowski, supported Hill’s nomination. However, multiple senators missed the vote, including Mullin, due to Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s decision to cut short the holiday recess for urgent discussions on Ukraine aid and immigration.
Senator Joe Manchin was the sole Democrat to vote against Hill’s confirmation. Hill’s tenure as the Cherokee Nation’s attorney general, during the overhaul of the tribe’s criminal prosecution system following the McGirt v. Oklahoma Supreme Court ruling, raised concerns among Republican officials about her impartiality as a judge.
The decision in McGirt v. Oklahoma shifted jurisdiction over cases involving Native Americans on tribal lands, drastically increasing the Cherokee Nation’s caseload. President Joe Biden nominated Hill in October, drawing criticism from Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt, a Cherokee Nation member, who expressed reservations about Hill’s suitability for the role.
Additionally, John David Russell, nominated alongside Hill, awaits a Senate vote.
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate confirmed Sara E. Hill, the Cherokee Nation’s former attorney general, as the first Native American woman to serve as a federal judge for Oklahoma. The vote was 52-14, marking a significant moment in U.S. judicial history with only a handful of Native Americans appointed to lifetime judicial positions.
Despite opposition from some of Oklahoma’s top GOP officials, Hill garnered support from the state’s two Republican U.S. senators, James Lankford and Markwayne Mullin, securing her confirmation. Lankford emphasized Hill’s commitment to upholding the United States Constitution above all else and representing all Oklahomans on the federal bench.
Several Republican senators, including Susan Collins, Chuck Grassley, and Lisa Murkowski, supported Hill’s nomination. However, multiple senators missed the vote, including Mullin, due to Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s decision to cut short the holiday recess for urgent discussions on Ukraine aid and immigration.
Senator Joe Manchin was the sole Democrat to vote against Hill’s confirmation. Hill’s tenure as the Cherokee Nation’s attorney general, during the overhaul of the tribe’s criminal prosecution system following the McGirt v. Oklahoma Supreme Court ruling, raised concerns among Republican officials about her impartiality as a judge.
The decision in McGirt v. Oklahoma shifted jurisdiction over cases involving Native Americans on tribal lands, drastically increasing the Cherokee Nation’s caseload. President Joe Biden nominated Hill in October, drawing criticism from Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt, a Cherokee Nation member, who expressed reservations about Hill’s suitability for the role.
Additionally, John David Russell, nominated alongside Hill, awaits a Senate vote.