[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 195 (Tuesday, November 17, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Page S7020]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          JUDICIAL NOMINATIONS

  Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, on another matter, while our 
committees are working, the full Senate is keeping busy with one of the 
core constitutional responsibilities we have: continuing to confirm 
well-qualified men and women to lifetime appointments to the Federal 
judiciary.
  Yesterday, we voted to advance the nomination of Kristi Haskins 
Johnson, the current solicitor general of Mississippi, with multiple 
impressive clerkships under her belt, to serve as a district judge for 
the Southern District of Mississippi. She will make history as the 
first woman to join the bench in that district.
  This is just the first of several nominations we will consider this 
week. We will also vote on Benjamin Beaton, a Kentuckian who has been 
nominated to be a district judge for the Western District of Kentucky. 
This Paducah native is yet another outstanding choice by President 
Trump.
  Mr. Beaton received a first-rate education from Kentucky's Centre 
College and then Columbia Law School, where he edited the law review. 
He clerked on the DC Circuit and on the Supreme Court for the late 
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
  Since then, Mr. Beaton has excelled at some of the country's top law 
firms. He has also undertaken a substantial pro bono caseload and shown 
a dedication to community service.
  At each step, the nominee has demonstrated a firm commitment to the 
Constitution and the rule of law. The American Bar Association has 
confirmed what Kentuckians already knew--Mr. Beaton is well qualified 
to serve as a district judge.
  Last month, our colleagues on the Judiciary Committee advanced this 
brilliant nominee with no Members voting in opposition. I urge all my 
colleagues to join me in voting to confirm him later today and our 
other impressive nominees this week.
  Now, this week's nominees are only the latest example of the 
incredible qualifications that have characterized President Trump's 
nominees.
  Take the metric that our Democratic colleagues have called the ``gold 
standard,'' the ratings of the left-leaning American Bar Association. 
As of a few months ago, across all the people that President Trump had 
nominated to the Federal District Courts, 68.8 percent had earned the 
ABA's top rating--top rating--of ``well qualified.''
  If you look back over the last seven Presidential administrations, 
only one--Bush 43--has managed to post a higher average rating for 
judicial nominations. Even then, it was only higher by just a hair--
just a hair.
  Even the Democrats' own supposed ``gold standard'' destroys the 
talking point that President Trump's nominees have been less thoroughly 
qualified. It is just not factual. It is not true.
  Earlier this year, looking at clerkships and professional experience, 
one liberal commentator admitted that ``the average Trump appointee has 
a far more impressive resume than any past president's nominees.''
  Let me say that again. This is a liberal commentator who follows 
these things and admitted that ``the average Trump appointee has a far 
more impressive resume than any past president's nominees.''
  So it is pretty hard to argue that these haven't been extraordinary 
additions to our Federal courts. This is a tremendous accomplishment. 
These are judges who will serve our Nation honorably for generations to 
come.
  Our colleagues here in the Senate should be rightly proud to have 
confirmed them, and we are going to continue doing just that.
  Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the mandatory quorum 
call with respect to the Beaton nomination be waived.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Is there objection?
  Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. McCONNELL. I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

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