[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 58 (Wednesday, April 11, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S2053]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                 Judges

  Mr. President, on a second brief matter, I will mention that 
yesterday was the 1-year anniversary of Neil Gorsuch joining the U.S. 
Supreme Court.
  Former Attorney General Ed Meese called Justice Gorsuch someone in 
the mold of the late Justice Antonin Scalia--an impartial judge who 
applies laws as they are written and who shows an abiding respect for 
the rights that are guaranteed by the Constitution.
  As I have numerous times in the past, I commend President Trump on 
his outstanding selection, and I congratulate Justice Gorsuch on his 
first year of serving on our Nation's highest Court.
  Let's not forget that Justice Gorsuch is not the only good news when 
it comes to the Federal judiciary. He is only one part of a much larger 
and, often, untold story. As of earlier this month, 30 article III 
Federal life tenure judges have been confirmed under President Trump's 
tenure--30. That is due, in large part, to the commitment of the 
Senate, under our majority leader's leadership, to making sure that 
this was a priority--to confirm judges who have been passed out of the 
Judiciary Committee here on the floor of the Senate and to maximize our 
floor time in order to get that priority accomplished.
  My home State has filled two appellate vacancies, as well as two 
district vacancies so far. Additionally, five accomplished lawyers are 
waiting for hearings for Texas district vacancies, and two more are 
waiting to be confirmed for those vacancies. So is Andy Oldham, who is 
an accomplished lawyer who has been nominated to fill the third seat on 
the Fifth Circuit since President Trump has become President. I hope we 
will continue to move all of these judicial nominees and many more 
across the country very soon.
  I know there is a lot of focus on the executive branch and the 
legislative branch, but I believe the judiciary is the bedrock of our 
government as it ensures that equal justice is available to all, no 
matter what one's station in life. It is the rule of law that enables 
all of our other freedoms to be possible. It enables our economy to 
flourish, and it creates opportunities for our people so that they can 
pursue their dreams. That is how important I believe the judiciary is, 
and we should never forget it.
  Yesterday, President Trump took another important step in this area 
when he announced he would be nominating David Morales to fill one of 
the vacancies I just mentioned, this one in Corpus Christi, TX, in the 
U.S. Southern District. David has extensive experience in working for 
the Texas attorney general and the Governor, as well as in the 
University of Texas system. He was recommended by Senator Cruz and my 
Federal Judicial Evaluation Committee--a bipartisan group of the best 
and brightest lawyers the State of Texas has to offer. David was 
recommended to us by what we call the FJEC. It performs a great service 
not only to Senator Cruz and me but to the public, generally, in its 
vetting of these potential nominees for judicial service and its 
recommending them to us. David Morales will bring more than 23 years of 
complex litigation and agency dispute resolution to bear.
  I hope our colleagues will join me in making sure his nomination is 
swiftly considered and that he is confirmed.
  I think David and the other Texans whom President Trump has nominated 
will make excellent additions to our courts. They are the kinds of 
people we should want in our courts--those who will impartially ensure 
that justice is done and the law, as written, is followed no matter who 
the litigant is or the type of controversy at issue.