[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 191 (Monday, November 1, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S7525]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
Nomination of Toby J. Heytens
Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, today, the Senate will vote to confirm
Toby Heytens to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth
Circuit.
He is an accomplished appellate advocate, with a depth of experience
and a fair-mindedness that would make him an asset to the Fourth
Circuit. He started as a clerk on the Third Circuit, completed a
prestigious fellowship at the Justice Department's Office of the
Solicitor General, and then he clerked for Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Not a
bad resume.
After a few years in private practice, Mr. Heytens rejoined the
Justice Department as an assistant to the Solicitor General. Most
recently, he was Solicitor General for the Commonwealth of Virginia.
He is a distinguished academic--taught at Cornell Law School, joined
the faculty at UVA Law School, codirected the Supreme Court Litigation
Clinic.
Mr. Heytens has personally argued 10 cases before the U.S. Supreme
Court--there aren't many people who can say that--and handled the
briefing in more than 50 other cases before the Court, and the breadth
of these cases is impressive.
With such credentials, it is not surprising he enjoys the strong
support of Senators Kaine and Warner.
He has been unanimously rated ``well qualified'' by the American Bar
Association, and his nomination is supported by leaders in the legal
community, including three former Republican Solicitors General under
President George W. Bush.
He is a dedicated public servant. I will be voting for him, and I
hope my colleagues will join me.