[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 103 (Friday, July 12, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7836-S7837]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                           EXECUTIVE CALENDAR

  Mr. GORTON. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate immediately 
proceed to executive session to consider the following nominations on 
the Executive Calendar: No. 590, the nomination of W. Craig Broadwater, 
of West Virginia, to be U.S. district judge for the Northern District 
of West Virginia; No. 681, Andrew Effron, to be a judge of the U.S. 
Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces.
  I further ask unanimous consent that the nominations be confirmed, 
the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table, the President be 
immediately notified of the Senate's action, and the Senate then return 
to legislative session.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The nominations considered and confirmed are as follows:

       W. Craig Broadwater, of West Virginia, to be United States 
     District Judge for the Northern District of West Virginia.
       Andrew S. Effron, of Virginia, to be a Judge of the United 
     States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces for the term of 
     fifteen years to expire on the date prescribed by law.


              statement on nomination of craig broadwater

  Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, during my years as a United States Senator, 
I have had the opportunity to speak in support of the confirmation of 
many outstanding West Virginians who have sought to serve on our 
Federal judiciary. On this occasion, I am pleased to urge my colleagues 
to swiftly confirm W. Craig Broadwater to serve as a Federal District 
Judge for the Northern District of West Virginia.
  Since 1983, Craig Broadwater has served on the First Judicial Circuit 
of West Virginia, most recently as Chief Judge. His path to the state 
judiciary included experience with a general law practice, service as a 
special prosecuting attorney, and a stint as a hearing examiner for 
state government.
  Craig Broadwater has also demonstrated a special concern for children 
and families in distress. He chaired the Committee formed to develop 
child abuse and neglect rules for the West Virginia Supreme Court of 
Appeals, as well as guidelines for family law masters in West Virginia. 
He has written articles and taught on the subject of domestic violence 
and prevention, and he is widely regarded and respected for the 
expertise and sensitivity he has demonstrated in this particularly 
poignant area of the law.
  After graduating Phi Beta Kappa from West Virginia University in 
1972, Craig Broadwater entered the United States Army and even today 
continues to serve his country as a Lieutenant Colonel in the West 
Virginia Army National Guard.
  Mr. President, I am proud to lend my support to this exceptional West 
Virginian. I believe Craig Broadwater's experience, keen legal mind, 
and personal integrity embody the qualities envisioned by the first 
Senate when the Judiciary Act created the third branch of Government. I 
am confident these talents will serve him well on the Federal bench.

[[Page S7837]]

  Mr. ROCKEFELLER. Mr. President, I am proud to recommend a very 
distinguished West Virginian be confirmed today to the post of Federal 
district judge for northern West Virginia. I'm honored to have joined 
with my senior colleague, Senator Byrd, in recommending that the 
President present this nomination.
  Senator Byrd and I have recommended Judge Craig Broadwater to this 
important post because he represents the very best of our State. He is 
the perfect blend of talent, energy, strength, and commitment to his 
fellow human beings--and, Mr. President, his life and his career are 
evidence of this fact.
  I had the privilege of appointing Judge Broadwater to the West 
Virginia First Judicial Circuit in 1993, when I was Governor. He was 
thereafter elected to the post in 1984. Since then, he was rated by the 
West Virginia State Bar as the No. 1 judge in the circuit, became 
chairman of the West Virginia Judicial Investigation Commission, and 
then chief judge for the first circuit in 1987, 1988, and 1995. To 
fully appreciate this remarkable man, you need to understand that Judge 
Broadwater is only 45 years old, and he has already had a outstanding 
judicial career.
  Craig's career is rooted in a lifetime of incredible service to this 
country and his community. Craig was born and raised in Paden City, WV, 
along the Ohio River. He graduated magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, and 
was a Distinguished Military Graduate, Army ROTC, from West Virginia 
University in 1972. He received his law degree from West Virginia 
University in 1977.
  He served in the U.S. Army as a second lieutenant, from 1972 to 1974, 
and is still an active reservist in the West Virginia Army National 
Guard. He has been awarded a Special Forces tab, master parachutist 
badge, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Armed Forces 
Expeditionary Medal for Korea in 1973 and 1974, the Humanitarian 
Service Medal, and the West Virginia Emergency Service Medal.
  Yet, I also know that Judge Brodwater may be most proud of his 
outstanding record on behalf of West Virginia's children. He has been a 
great leader in our State in the area of child abuse and neglect laws 
and has been a longtime member of the executive board of the Boy Scouts 
of America.
  I am also fortunate to know Craig's family--his wife, Chong, two 
beautiful daughters, Chandra and Taeja, and son, Shane. They, too, are 
testament to his deep commitment and values.
  Everywhere you turn in our State's northern panhandle, you see the 
imprint of Judge Broadwater's intellect and commitment. He knows the 
importance of family. A close examination of his record as a judge will 
reveal a very tough, yet fair man, whose life experience have prepared 
him to sit on the Federal bench as a judge before his fellow citizens.
  Mr. President, Senator J. William Fulbright said in 1961:

       It is not our affluence, or our plumbing, or our clogged 
     freeways that grip the imagination of others. Rather, it is 
     the values upon which our system is built. These values imply 
     our adherence not only to liberty and individual freedom, but 
     also to international peace, law and order and constructive 
     social purpose. When we depart from these values, we do so at 
     our own peril.

  Every American, and certainly every West Virginia, should be 
comfortable knowing that Craig Broadwater and the values upon which his 
life has been built will be a part of our judicial system. As his U.S. 
Senator and his friend, I'm proud to recommend his confirmation.

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