[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 158 (Tuesday, September 14, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S6472]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                    Nomination of David G. Estudillo

  Mr. President, the second vote we will take is on Judge Estudillo's 
confirmation, and I rise today in support of the nomination of Judge 
David Estudillo to serve as U.S. District Court judge for the Western 
District of Washington in the Tacoma courthouse.
  I had the honor of recommending that President Biden nominate Judge 
Estudillo for this position, and I am so glad he did. Judge Estudillo 
is tremendously qualified for this job, currently serving in his third 
term as a Grant County Superior Court judge, and he is someone who will 
bring a powerful and important perspective to the Federal bench.
  Let me tell you a little bit about him and the kind of person he is. 
He was born and raised in the Yakima Valley of Washington State. Judge 
Estudillo is the son of immigrants--the 9th child of 10--his parents 
coming here from Mexico through the Bracero Program. His mother and 
father were farmworkers until they were able to open up a small grocery 
store, where Judge Estudillo worked while growing up and through 
college.
  He is someone who worked hard to give back to his community in 
working as an immigration lawyer. He represented clients in tough 
removal proceedings, successfully presenting and trying claims for 
asylum, cancelations of removal, and other forms of relief from 
deportation. He also consistently provided pro bono services at 
immigration legal clinics to help immigrants applying for citizenship 
and often presented information in Spanish about immigration policy and 
procedure all around the community.
  That work as an immigration attorney is important to me because it 
means, when Judge Estudillo is in the Tacoma courthouse and Washington 
State families look up to the judge's bench--who maybe don't speak 
English or just aren't familiar with our court system--Judge Estudillo 
is someone who will make sure that every person who walks into his 
courtroom feels heard and that every person who walks out believes 
equal justice under the law is real in America.
  Don't just take my word for it. The judge is endorsed by both the 
Republican and Democratic Parties of Grant County, where he first ran 
for his current post, and he was recommended to me by my Judicial Merit 
Selection Committee, which has both Republican and Democratic members. 
He has earned an outstanding reputation for leading a courtroom where 
everyone is treated with respect and dignity.
  If we want people in this country to have faith in our Federal 
courts--an absolutely vital part of our democracy's checks and balance 
system--then we need to appoint judges who will serve with integrity 
and independence and who will reflect the communities they serve. I 
know Judge Estudillo will do exactly that. He will be an exceptional 
Federal district court judge for the Western District of Washington, 
and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting his nomination.
  I yield the floor.