n his dissent, Judge Daniel Collins disagreed, saying the administration had the authority to use the money.

Federal judicial service

On October 10, 2018, President Trump announced his intent to nominate Collins to serve as a United States Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.[6][10] On October 11, 2018, Senator Dianne Feinstein said the White House had not consulted her on the nomination, and that she would oppose Senate confirmation of Collins and two other circuit court nominees.[11][12][13] On November 13, 2018, his nomination was sent to the Senate. President Trump nominated Collins to the seat vacated by Judge Harry Pregerson, who took senior status on December 11, 2015.[14] On January 3, 2019, his nomination was returned to the President under Rule XXXI, Paragraph 6 of the United States Senate.

On January 30, 2019, President Trump indicated that he would renominate Collins to a Ninth Circuit vacancy.[15] On February 6, 2019, his nomination was sent to the Senate.[16] On March 13, 2019, a hearing on his nomination was held before the Senate Judiciary Committee.[17] On April 4, 2019, his nomination was reported out of committee by a 12–10 party line vote.[18] On May 20, 2019, the Senate invoked cloture on his nomination by a vote of 51–43,[19] and on the following day, May 21, the Senate confirmed his nomination by a vote of 53–46.[20] He received his judicial commission on May 22, 2019.
Notable cases

On May 22, 2020, Collins dissented when the 9th circuit in a 2-1 decision ruled that Gavin Newsom's order limiting church capacity to 25% is constitutional. [21] On May 29, the Supreme Court of the United States upheld the 9th circuit's decision due to the extraordinary health emergency of COVID-19, although Justices Thomas, Alito, Gorsuch, and Kavanaugh would have reversed the 9th circuit and affirmed Collins' position. [22] On June 26, Collins again dissented in a pair of 2-1 rulings by the 9th circuit appeals court that President Trump illegally redirected $2.5 billion in military funds to build portions of his border wall in California, Arizona and New Mexico. Congress has constitutional authority over federal spending and appropriated the funding for military pay and other Defense Department purposes, never authorizing Trump to divert it for wall construction according to the rulings.[23]