Deal struck as lawmakers battle over who will control federal courts and whether to add more judgeships as Republicans take control of White House, Senate.

Senate Democrats have confirmed some of President Joe Biden’s picks for the federal bench this week in the face of President-elect Donald Trump’s calls for a total GOP blockade of judicial nominations – in part because several Republicans involved with the Trump transition process have been missing votes.

Some Senate Republicans are fuming after the absence of some of their GOP colleagues, which is allowing Democrats to confirm judicial nominees at a fast pace with little resistance.

Democrats see judges as a bulwark against potential abuses of power by Donald Trump, in a sign of the partisan struggle over the federal courts.

Nov 20 (Reuters) - U.S. Senate Democrats on Wednesday secured the confirmation of two more of President Joe Biden's judicial nominees as they race against the clock to fill as many court vacancies as possible before Republican President-elect Donald Trump takes office in January.

President-elect Trump said the Senate should stop confirming President Biden’s judicial nominees to lifetime positions on the federal bench.

The Senate won’t hold votes on four of President Joe Biden’s appellate court nominees as part of a deal with Republicans to allow for speedier consideration of other judicial nominations