[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 138 (Thursday, October 2, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Pages S12347-S12348]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   NOMINATION OF JOHN A. HOUSTON, OF CALIFORNIA, TO BE UNITED STATES 
         DISTRICT JUDGE FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the clerk will 
report the next nomination.
  The legislative clerk read the nomination of John A. Houston, of 
California, to be United States District Judge for the Southern 
District of California.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, there are 2 minutes 
of debate equally divided prior to the vote on the nomination.
  Who yields time?
  Mr. STEVENS. I yield all time on our side.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is anyone seeking time?
  All time has expired.
  The question is, Will the Senate advise and consent to the nomination 
of John A. Houston, of California, to be United States District Judge 
for the Southern District of California?
  The nomination was confirmed.
  Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote, and I move 
to lay that motion on the table.
  The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.
  Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I am pleased today to speak in support of 
John Houston, who has been confirmed to the United States District 
Court for the Southern District of California.
  Judge Houston, a graduate of the University of Miami School of Law, 
has used his outstanding legal skills in public service. He first 
served in the United States Army Judge Advocate General Corps and then 
in various positions at the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern 
District of California before his appointment in 1998 as a Federal 
magistrate judge, the position in which he currently serves.
  Judge Houston has won many accolades for his legal skills, including 
awards from the National Association of Black Customs Enforcement 
Officers and from the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force for 
Outstanding Contributions. He was also presented with the Director's 
Award for Superior Performance in Asset Forfeiture by then-Attorney 
General Janet Reno.
  In addition to his judicial responsibilities, Judge Houston finds 
time to participate in community programs that assist children in 
meeting educational and economic challenges. He has, for example, 
opened his courtroom to public school students to give them hands-on 
lessons in the judicial process. And he has served as a mentor to young 
African-American men who have excelled in high school to prepare them 
for college and beyond.
  I applaud President Bush for his nomination of Judge Houston and am 
confident that he will serve on the bench with compassion, integrity 
and fairness.
  Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I am pleased today to speak in support of 
Robert Clive Jones, who has been confirmed to the United States 
District Court for the District of Nevada.
  Before I go any further, I must tell you that Judge Jones is a fellow 
Cougar--a graduate of my alma mater, Brigham Young University. He then 
attended UCLA School of Law, where he graduated in the top 10 percent 
of his

[[Page S12348]]

class--a member of the Order of the Coif--and where he had been an 
associate editor of the UCLA Law Review.
  Following his graduation from law school, Judge Jones clerked for the 
Ninth Circuit Judge J. Clifford Wallace. He then entered into private 
practice with the Las Vegas law firm of Albright and McGimsy, as an 
associate, specializing in tax law, real property, bankruptcy, and 
commercial law. He then worked at the law firm of Jones & Holt, where 
he was a partner.
  In 1983, Judge Jones was appointed to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for 
the District of Nevada, where he currently serves. He simultaneously 
served as a member of a three-judge panel for the U.S. Bankruptcy 
Appellate Panel of the Ninth Circuit from 1986 until 1999.
  In addition to his judicial responsibilities, Judge Jones 
participates in the promotion of State bar pro bono bankruptcy 
services, which include educating the public on bankruptcy law. He also 
finds time to volunteer his services to such charitable organizations 
as the American Cancer Society and Opportunity Village, a group that 
assists the mentally disabled.
  I applaud President Bush for his nomination of Judge Jones and am 
confident he will continue to be an asset on the Federal bench.
  Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I am pleased to offer my support for the 
nominee for the Southern District Court of California, John Houston.
  I wish to emphasize the excellent process that we have in place to 
select district court nominees in California.
  In a truly bipartisan fashion, the White House Counsel, Senator 
Feinstein and I worked together to create four judicial advisory 
committees for the State of California, one in each federal judicial 
district in the state.
  Each committee has a membership of six individuals: three appointed 
by the White House, and three appointed jointly by Senator Feinstein 
and me. Each member's vote counts equally, and a majority is necessary 
for recommendation of a candidate.
  This nominee was reviewed by the Southern District Committee and 
strongly recommended for this position. I continue to support this 
bipartisan selection process and the high quality nominees it has 
produced.
  Judge Houston had extensive experience as a federal prosecutor before 
his appointment as a magistrate judge in San Diego.
  I was delighted to meet Judge Houston and his family during his 
Judiciary Committee hearing in September and wish them all the very 
best.
  The Southern District will benefit greatly from the exemplary 
services of Judge Houston, and I fully support confirmation of this 
nominee.

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