[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 13 (Thursday, January 20, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Page S369]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                    Confirmation of Holly A. Thomas

  Mr. PADILLA. Mr. President, I was hoping to rise prior to the vote 
just a little while ago but was consumed with the agenda in the Senate 
Judiciary Committee this morning.
  So in lieu of speaking prior to the confirmation vote, I rise to 
applaud the confirmation of Judge Holly Thomas to the U.S. Court of 
Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Judge Thomas is a dedicated advocate for 
equality under the law and has made a career of fighting to ensure the 
civil rights of all Americans.
  A proud native of San Diego, CA, and a graduate of Yale Law School, 
Judge Thomas spent 10 years working on civil rights litigation and 
appeals. That time included litigating at the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, 
in the U.S. Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division, and in the 
New York Solicitor General's Office.
  In each of these roles, Judge Thomas was a tireless advocate for 
equal justice. She proved to be a skillful appellate lawyer, an 
insightful thinker, and a valued colleague.
  She returned to California in 2016 to serve as the chief liaison 
between the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing and 
the Governor's Office. The State Department of Fair Employment and 
Housing is California's largest civil rights regulatory body, and in 
her role there Judge Thomas dedicated herself to protecting workers and 
families from unlawful discrimination, working closely with then-
Governor Brown.
  Recognizing her outstanding work and her tremendous talent, Governor 
Brown appointed her to the Los Angeles County Superior Court in 2018. 
Now, this appointment was a full-circle moment for a person whose love 
of the law was nurtured by her supportive parents starting at a very 
young age. Judge Thomas's parents, when she was a young girl, would 
take her to watch court proceedings. Why? So that she could imagine 
what a career as a lawyer would look like.
  Decades later, as a judge on the superior court, Judge Thomas 
actually requested to serve in the family law division because of her 
empathy for families going through a difficult process and experience 
in court.
  Now, as the first person in her family to go to college after high 
school, Judge Thomas knows what it is like to navigate unfamiliar 
institutions. She is also the granddaughter of sharecroppers, and she 
is a passionate fighter for equal justice.
  Since her appointment, Judge Thomas has proven her excellence as a 
jurist, as a neutral arbiter, and a compassionate voice for justice 
both in family court and on the California Court of Appeal, where she 
served in a pro tem capacity for 6 months.
  Judge Thomas's compassion is matched by her legal acumen. Throughout 
her career, she has distinguished herself with thoughtful analysis, 
expert judgment, and unshakeable commitment to civil rights.
  I know--and I am thrilled--that Judge Thomas will serve with 
distinction on the Ninth Circuit, and I congratulate her on this very 
well-deserved confirmation.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.