[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 150 (Monday, September 19, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4812-S4813]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                          Judicial Nominations

  Madam President, now on judges, as we begin the third week of the 
work period, the Senate presses ahead to confirm more of President 
Biden's impressive lineup of judicial nominees.

[[Page S4813]]

  This week, we will aim to confirm our sixth--yes, sixth--circuit 
court nominee of the month, and this one is especially important. It is 
to move forward on Judge Florence Pan to serve as a lifetime 
appointment to the U.S. Circuit Court for the District of Columbia.
  After the Supreme Court, the DC Court of Appeals is the most 
important Federal court in the country, with jurisdiction over cases 
involving Congress and executive branch Agencies. It goes without 
saying that those nominated to serve as jurists on this court must be 
individuals of the highest caliber, of impeccable credentials, and must 
show deep fidelity to the Constitution.
  The President couldn't have done better than Judge Pan: a brilliant, 
accomplished, and truly bipartisan nominee. The Senate confirmed her to 
the DC district court with an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote of 68 to 
30. Since then, her conduct on the bench has vindicated that margin. So 
I hope we can see similar bipartisan support this week.
  The daughter of Taiwanese immigrants, Judge Pan graduated from the 
University of Pennsylvania and earned her law degree from Stanford, 
where she wrote on the Law Review.
  As a judge for both the DC Superior Court and DC district court, she 
has seen practically every kind of legal dispute under the Sun: 
criminal law, family law, administrative law, consumer protection, 
immigration, employment law, and more. In short, she is a remarkably 
qualified and experienced jurist.
  So I urge my colleagues from both sides of the aisle to vote in favor 
of advancing this nominee. A seat on the DC Circuit deserves to be 
filled by a high-caliber and impartial jurist, and, thankfully, we have 
that in Judge Pan.


                       Treaty Document No. 117-1

  Madam President, now on the Kigali treaty, besides working on 
judicial nominations, the Senate will also vote this week to advance a 
pair of critically important measures on the floor.
  First, we will vote tomorrow to proceed to the Kigali Amendment to 
the Montreal Protocol, an agreement from the 1980s that united much of 
the world in reducing the use of industrial chemicals harmful to our 
ozone layer. Three decades later, this agreement has been an 
unqualified success. The Kigali Amendment is a golden opportunity to 
strengthen U.S. businesses and secure an edge against China in the 
emerging industry of next-generation refrigerants.
  Let me explain. It sounds a little complicated, but it is important. 
The Kigali Amendment, which has been negotiated by both Democratic and 
Republican administrations, would build on the Montreal Protocols by 
affirming the U.S. commitment to phase out the use of a particularly 
dangerous chemical known as hydrofluorocarbons, abbreviated commonly as 
HFCs. Though used only in small amounts in household appliances like 
refrigerators and air conditioners, they wreak havoc on our atmosphere. 
Many on both sides have long agreed we should transition away from 
their use.
  By ratifying the Kigali Amendment, businesses that specialize in the 
next generation of refrigerant technologies would see new markets open 
for them. In fact, one study suggests U.S. net exports could increase 
by $6 billion annually--$6 billion. So this is a projobs bill.
  Combined with previous measures to reduce HFCs, this step could help 
create 150,000 new jobs here in the United States. All the while, we 
would get a much needed leg up on Chinese businesses that still lag 
behind--for now--in developing viable HFC alternatives. Failure to 
ratify the Kigali Amendment would mean squandering billions in economic 
activity and potentially over 100,000 good-paying American jobs.
  The good news: This measure has broad support from the business 
community, including the Chamber of Commerce, the American Chemistry 
Council, the Semiconductor Industry Association, and many others. The 
same support should manifest itself here in the Senate.
  The first vote on cloture will require 60 Senators to move forward. 
And because this is a treaty, we will then need the support of two-
thirds of the Chamber to ratify.
  For the sake of U.S. businesses, U.S. innovators, and the sake of our 
climate and American dominance in emerging markets, I urge my 
colleagues from both sides to vote in favor of advancing and ratifying 
the Kigali Amendment.