[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 11 (Wednesday, January 26, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Page S263]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            JUDGE JOHN ROLL

  Mr. INHOFE. Madam President, I heard this morning the tributes that 
were made by Senator John McCain and Senator John Kyl about the role 
that was played by the very heroic judge who lost his life in the 
tragedy that took place in Tucson.
  Shortly after the tragedy, the offices of Senators McCain and Kyl 
reached out to my committee--the committee on which I am ranking member 
and Senator Boxer is chairman. They talked about how they would go 
about honoring Judge John Roll by naming the new courthouse that will 
be constructed in Yuma, AZ, after him.
  Many of us have come to know the work of Judge Roll after his tragic, 
heroic death in the recent shooting where he died protecting Ron 
Barber, Congresswoman Giffords' district director, and sacrificing 
himself. My office knew about him before, about Judge Roll's work on 
behalf of the judicial system in Arizona.
  Judge Roll contacted my committee staff last year, after a GAO report 
criticizing the way Arizona was utilizing their courthouse space. This 
is a letter from Judge Roll to us:

       On behalf of the district of Arizona, I strongly disagree 
     with many of the conclusions in the report, particularly as 
     they relate to Arizona and its attempts to cope with an ever-
     burgeoning criminal caseload largely arising from border 
     enforcement.

  He hoped his response to the report would be helpful to us. It was. 
We have learned that the problems they have in Arizona on the border 
are something they have never experienced before. It has put their 
judicial system into real problems, and consequently this judge was 
taking a leadership role in reaching out to us to let us know that GAO 
report was not accurate.
  We have had a chance to talk with both Senator McCain and Senator 
Kyl. I sat down with Senator Boxer, who is the chairman of our 
committee, and talked about what we might be able to do in a very 
expeditious way. I believe the decision to name the Yuma, AZ, 
courthouse after Judge Roll is a fitting tribute to a man who served 
his State with distinction.
  The courthouse is a new courthouse, government construction, to help 
alleviate some of the overcrowding going on in Arizona right now, 
primarily because of the problems that exist on the border.
  I do not know of any time in the years I have been here that a bill 
has been introduced and then discharged the same day. We all feel 
strongly enough that this needs to be handled in this way. It is the 
very least we can do.
  Judge Roll was highly regarded by his colleagues and clearly took his 
judgeship seriously, doing more than simply deciding cases and going 
home. He was an active advocate for the judicial system in Arizona. I 
believe we would have had this courthouse named after him upon his 
retirement had his life not been tragically taken.
  Today Senators McCain and Kyl introduced S. 188, and I am happy to 
announce that Senator Boxer and I have discharged S. 188 to the floor 
on this same day. Anything else I do not think would have been 
appropriate.
  I yield the floor, and I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Whitehouse). The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
order for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Merkley). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

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