[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 100 (Wednesday, June 9, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S4000]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                          Judicial Nominations

  Mr. President, finally, on judges, yesterday, the Senate confirmed 
the first two judges of President Biden's tenure--now--Judges Neals of 
New Jersey and Rodriguez of Colorado.
  These judges are only the first of many to come. The Democratic 
majority in the Senate is going to move quickly to confirm Biden's 
judicial appointments. So after the two confirmations yesterday, we 
wasted no time in preparing the next slate of nominees.
  Last night, I took the necessary step to set up votes on two more 
judges--Zahid Quraishi for the District Court of New Jersey and 
Kentanji Brown Jackson to serve on the powerful DC Circuit Court of 
Appeals.
  Democrats believe in not only bringing demographic diversity but 
professional diversity to the Federal bench. In fact, this morning I 
had the privilege of introducing my recommendation to the Second 
Circuit Court of Appeals in the Judiciary Committee, Ms. Eunice Lee.
  Once confirmed, Ms. Lee would become the second African-American 
woman ever to sit on this powerful and important Second Circuit and 
would be the only former Federal defender among its active roster of 
judges.
  As I mentioned, we believe in demographic diversity but professional 
diversity as well. All too often, the bench has been filled with a very 
narrow sector--partners in big law firms, prosecutors. What about the 
rest? What about public defenders like Ms. Lee? What about voting 
rights lawyers, like Mr. Ho and Ms. Perez, whom I recommended to the 
President this week? We must defend--we must expand not only 
demographic diversity but professional diversity. And I know that 
President Biden agrees with me on this, and this will be something that 
I will set out to do not only in New York, along with Senator 
Gillibrand, but across the country.
  And the two other nominees I mentioned are powerful examples as well. 
Mr. Quraishi will be the first American Muslim in U.S. history to serve 
as an article III Federal judge. The third largest religion in the 
United States, he will become the first to ever serve as an article III 
judge, and we will confirm his nomination this week.
  And next up is the nomination of Judge Jackson. After a sterling 
career as a district court judge, a Federal defender, a Commissioner on 
the Sentencing Commission, and a clerk to Justice Breyer, Ms. Brown 
Jackson is poised to take a seat on the DC Circuit Court of Appeals, 
the second highest court in the land. She will fill the seat of now-
Attorney General Merrick Garland.
  Oftentimes, nominees to the powerful DC Circuit Court are 
controversial, in spite of their qualifications, because the stakes are 
so high. But I am proud to say that Ms. Brown Jackson came out of the 
Judiciary Committee on a bipartisan--a bipartisan--vote, and soon the 
entire Senate will confirm this highly qualified jurist to one of the 
most important positions and courts in the country.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. 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.