[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 29 (Monday, February 13, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S339]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                          Judicial Nominations

  Madam President, now, on judges, this week, the Senate will reach a 
significant milestone by confirming the 99th and 100th Federal judge of 
the Biden administration.
  We will begin today with Cindy Chung, nominee No. 99, to serve as a 
circuit court judge for the Third Circuit. If confirmed, Ms. Chung 
would be the first Asian-American judge to ever, ever sit on the Third 
Circuit. That should make us all proud.
  And Cindy Chung is precisely the kind of person we want on the 
Federal bench. She has dedicated her career to protecting civil rights, 
having prosecuted White supremacists and others charged with hate 
crimes.
  Later today, we will also vote to proceed with Gina Mendez-Miro as 
district judge in the District of Puerto Rico.
  Judge Mendez-Miro would make history as the first LGBT American to 
preside in the Puerto Rico District Court.
  And very quickly I want to mention last week's vote on DeAndrea 
Benjamin, only the second woman of color ever to serve on the Fourth 
Circuit. I had to miss her vote, unfortunately, because of the birth of 
my grandson, but if I were here, I would have proudly voted to confirm 
her.
  The nominations of DeAndrea Benjamin and Cindy Chung are significant 
for many reasons. For one, the lion's share of all Federal cases are 
ultimately decided at the circuit court level so filling these 
vacancies with judges like Ms. Benjamin and Ms. Chung are essential.
  Second, despite their importance, circuit courts have traditionally 
lagged well behind other courts in terms of diversity. We want these 
courts, so vital, so powerful, to represent America--all of America, 
not just some of it.
  Ms. Benjamin and Ms. Chung will help remedy that with their unique 
experiences and much needed perspectives on the law.
  Senate Democrats have focused intensely on expanding the diversity of 
our courts, and not just in terms of demographics but in terms of 
experience, professional experience, too. We are working hard not only 
to add more women, more people of color, more lawyers from unique 
backgrounds to the bench but people of different walks of life.

  Ketanji Brown Jackson is the first Legal Aid attorney to serve on the 
Supreme Court. After all these years, that perspective had not been on 
the Court, and now it is.
  So why do we want these kinds of diversity? It is simple. When 
Americans present their cases before these courts, they should trust 
that they will get a fair shake in the dispensation of justice.
  The more our courts reflect the country at large in terms of 
backgrounds and experiences, the greater that trust will be in the long 
run.
  Ms. Benjamin, Ms. Chung, and Ms. Mendez-Miro are all examples of the 
kinds of judges who will strengthen that trust.
  I congratulate each of them on their nominations.
  I thank Chairman Durbin and the great members of the Judiciary 
Committee for moving these individuals quickly through the nominations 
process.
  I yield the floor.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Alabama.