The U.S. Senate's Democratic majority began a crusade on Tuesday to confirm as many new federal judges nominated by U.S. President Joe Biden as possible to avoid leaving vacancies that Republican Donald Trump could fill after taking office on Jan. 20.

With Republicans set to take control of the chamber on Jan. 3, the Senate is set on Tuesday to hold a confirmation vote on one of Biden's judicial nominees — former prosecutor April Perry — for the first time since Trump won the Nov. 5 presidential election. Perry was nominated by the Democratic president to serve as a U.S. district court judge in Illinois.

All told, Biden has announced 31 judicial nominees who are awaiting Senate confirmation votes, including Perry. She is one of 17 who already have been reviewed by the Senate Judiciary Committee and are awaiting a final confirmation vote by the full Senate. Another 14 nominees are awaiting committee review.