[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 6 (Monday, January 11, 2016)]
[Senate]
[Page S17]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                           EXECUTIVE CALENDAR

  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Boozman). Under the previous order, the 
Senate will proceed to executive session to consider the following 
nomination, which the clerk will report.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk read the nomination of Luis 
Felipe Restrepo, of Pennsylvania, to be United States Circuit Judge for 
the Third Circuit.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, there will be 30 
minutes of debate equally divided in the usual form.
  The Senator from Pennsylvania.
  Mr. TOOMEY. Mr. President, I rise to speak on the upcoming 
confirmation vote of Judge Luis Felipe Restrepo to serve on the U.S. 
Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.
  I wish to thank Chairman Grassley and Ranking Member Leahy for moving 
Judge Restrepo's nomination through their committee.
  I also thank Leader McConnell for scheduling this confirmation vote, 
which will take place in short order.
  I also wish to thank my colleague Senator Casey. Senator Casey and I 
have been working very closely for 5 years now, since I joined the 
Senate, working to fill the vacancies that occur on the Federal bench 
across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania that we represent. With Judge 
Restrepo's confirmation tonight, which I am hopeful and confident will 
occur, Senator Casey and I will have been able to play a role in 
filling 16 vacancies on the Federal bench, including 14 district court 
vacancies that have occurred since the time I arrived in Senate and two 
Third Circuit court vacancies. There are only two States in the Union 
that have had more vacancies filled in the last 5 years, and those two 
States are California and New York. They are very large States, of 
course, and have a large number of vacancies.
  Again, I thank Senator Casey for the very constructive working 
relationship we have developed to make sure that the people of 
Pennsylvania are able to access justice in a sensible and efficient 
fashion. Because we have worked closely together, not only have we 
filled these vacancies, but we have filled courthouses--Federal 
courthouses meant to house Federal judges--that have been vacant for 
years. As a result, Reading, PA, now has a Federal judge serving in 
that courthouse. People in the surrounding area of Williamsport, PA, 
had to drive great distances to get to a Federal court, and now there 
is a judge serving in Williamsport. Easton, PA--likewise, the people in 
North Hampton County who had to drive all the way to Philadelphia to 
have a case dealt with can now do that in Easton. I think, and I hope, 
we are close to filling an empty courthouse in Erie, PA. Erie is kind 
of by itself out there in the northwest corner of our great State, and 
there ought to be Federal judge in the Erie courthouse. We are well in 
the process of making sure that there will be, and I am sure it will 
come to a close soon.
  Back to Judge Restrepo. The fact is Judge Restrepo is very well 
qualified to serve on the Third Circuit. He has served as a Federal 
district court judge for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania since 
June of 2013. I was very pleased, along with Senator Casey, to have 
recommended Judge Restrepo to the White House for that post and to have 
supported his confirmation to the district court.
  In 2013, Judge Restrepo was confirmed unanimously on the Senate 
floor. I would love to see that occur again this evening with respect 
to his confirmation to the circuit court. Prior to his appointment as a 
district court judge, Judge Restrepo served for 7 years as a Federal 
magistrate judge for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and for 13 
years prior to that, Judge Restrepo was a partner in the law firm of 
Krasner and Restrepo, handling criminal defense cases. Before that, he 
worked at the public defenders' office at the Federal and State levels.
  In many ways, Judge Restrepo's life story is a classic American dream 
story. He was born in Medellin, Colombia, and became a U.S. citizen in 
1993. He has devoted a great deal of his time and energy and 
considerable intellect to serving his community. He served on the board 
of the Make-a-Wish Foundation for Philadelphia and Susquehanna Valley. 
This is a foundation that grants wishes to children who have life-
threatening illnesses. Judge Restrepo also gave his time to the Russell 
Byers Charter School in Philadelphia.
  I am very confident that Judge Restrepo has the judicial experience, 
legal acumen, intellect, integrity, and dedication to public service to 
do the job that we expect him to do on the Third Circuit Court of 
Appeals. The Senate Judiciary Committee apparently shares my 
confidence, having passed his nomination out of committee with a voice 
vote.
  I am pleased to speak on behalf of this highly qualified nominee, and 
I urge all of my colleagues to support his confirmation.