[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 143 (Wednesday, September 7, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4451-S4452]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                          Judicial Nominations

  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, our democracy cannot hope to hang 
together for very long without a trusted, balanced, and fairminded 
Judiciary. As we have seen in stark and frightful ways in recent 
months, the men and women who preside from the bench hold immense power 
over our Nation's destiny and over our people's liberties.
  When it comes to nominating people to the bench, it is imperative 
that we get it right. So, today, the Senate will continue its duty to 
advance President Biden's highly qualified, highly diverse, and highly 
accomplished judicial nominees.
  We will begin this afternoon by voting on the confirmation of Judge 
John Lee to serve as circuit judge for the Seventh Circuit. If 
confirmed, Judge Lee will make history as the first Asian American ever 
to preside on the Seventh Circuit, joining the proud company of other 
Biden nominees who are making our courts more reflective of our 
country.
  I expect Judge Lee to receive bipartisan support and his record 
certainly merits it. He has already been confirmed by this Chamber when 
appointed to serve as district judge roughly a decade ago. Over the 
course of his tenure, Judge Lee has authored over 800 opinions, while 
being reversed only 11 times.

[[Page S4452]]

  Later today, the Senate will vote to advance the nomination of 
another outstanding individual, Andre Mathis, to serve as circuit judge 
for the Sixth Circuit. Mr. Mathis would be the first Black man 
confirmed to the Sixth Circuit in nearly a quarter of a century and the 
first to hail from Tennessee.
  Growing up, Mr. Mathis knew what it was like to go days without food, 
water, or heating, and yet, despite immense adversity, he was the first 
in his family to attend college and graduate from law school with 
honors. He spent over 15 years in private practice and has an extensive 
pro bono record. If confirmed, I am confident Mr. Mathis would make an 
excellent circuit court judge.
  Confirming judges will continue to be a very top priority for the 
Senate in the days and weeks and months to come. Last night, I filed 
cloture on two additional circuit nominees which Members can expect to 
begin voting on as soon as Thursday.
  Now, I want to take a moment--a moment--to emphasize how far Senate 
Democrats have come in keeping our promise to bring balance back to the 
Federal bench, which under President Trump skewed dramatically to the 
hard right. To date, Senate Democrats have confirmed 76 Federal judges, 
far more than the number confirmed at this point in President Trump's 
Presidency. In fact, we have confirmed more judges than either 
President Trump or President Obama did this far into their 
administrations.
  In a dramatic break from the past, 75 percent of these nominees have 
been women, half of them women of color. That is a figure, I dare say, 
that has never been seen before when it comes to judicial nominees.
  We are going to continue prioritizing judges moving forward. We 
cannot let the judiciary succumb to the hard right because, as we have 
seen, the consequences are devastating to the American people.