[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 30 (Tuesday, February 14, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S371-S372]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                          Judicial Nominations

  Mr. President, now, on judges, today, the Senate reaches a major 
milestone as we confirm the 100th--100th--judicial nominee of the Biden 
administration. That is 100 judges who will bring balance and 
excellence to the Federal bench, 100 judges who have expanded the 
diversity and dynamism of the judiciary, 100 judges who embody the best 
of our justice system: experience, fairmindedness, and, most of all, 
fidelity to the Constitution.
  Today's nominee, Judge Gina Mendez-Miro, is remarkable in her own 
right. Judge Mendez-Miro, nominated

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to serve as a district judge for the District of Puerto Rico, would 
make history as the first openly LGBTQ member of that court. That is 
something to celebrate, something to be proud of, and something that 
shows America can, little by little, live up to its promise of 
opportunity for all, regardless of his or her background.
  Judge Mendez-Miro is already a deeply respected member of the Puerto 
Rican court of appeals, and I am confident she will make an excellent 
district court judge.
  Mr. President, whenever we reach a milestone like today's, it is as 
good an opportunity as any to pause and evaluate everything we have 
accomplished and what it means for our country. Today, because of the 
work done by this majority, our Federal judiciary is far more balanced, 
far more diverse, far more experienced than the one we had just 2 years 
ago, and it is something every American can be proud of. This Senate 
has confirmed more judges by this point in a President's term than 
either of the previous two administrations.
  Of the 100 judges, 76 are women--76. Today, only about one-third of 
active Federal judges are women. So this is a sorely needed step in the 
right direction, redressing what has been a time-old imbalance.
  Sixty-eight of these judges are people of color: 33 Black judges, 25 
Black women judges, 21 from Hispanic backgrounds. We confirmed the 
first Muslim American Federal judge in U.S. history, and, of course--of 
course--we confirmed the first Black woman ever to sit on the U.S. 
Supreme Court: Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson.
  And diversity can take many forms. Justice Jackson, for instance, is 
also the first public defender to ever bear the title Justice. It is no 
small feat to confirm the first ever Justice who knows firsthand what 
it is like to defend the rights of the accused.
  And perhaps more than at any other point in history, our bench has 
more public defenders, civil rights lawyers, election lawyers--people 
who have understood average folks as they walk through their lives. 
From Myrna Perez, who directed the Brennan Center for voting rights and 
elections, to Holly Thomas, who led DOJ's civil rights division, to 
Nina Morrison, the former senior litigator of the Innocence Project, 
these judges are the kind of heavy hitters who, until now, rarely made 
it to the Federal bench.
  We Democrats are proud--very proud--that we are changing that. 
Diversity is something we are all proud to celebrate, but it is not 
diversity on its own that matters here. If our democracy is to prosper 
in the 21st century, the American people must have confidence that our 
Federal courts can faithfully adhere to the principle of equal justice 
under law.
  The more our judges reflect our Nation's vibrancy and diversity, the 
more effective they will be in administering equal justice. The more 
Americans look at our courts and see people who look like them and come 
from their backgrounds and share similar experiences, the better off 
our judicial system will be.
  Now, that does not change the obligation of judges, who have to apply 
the law fairly, impartially, and equally. On the contrary, I believe 
diversity enhances the court's ability to rule impartially. So you can 
bet that we will continue in this effort.
  I want to thank all of my colleagues who worked so hard in the last 2 
years to confirm these remarkable judges. I want to thank my Republican 
colleagues who worked with us as well because their support has made 
this milestone possible. And, of course, above all, I want to thank my 
colleagues on the Judiciary Committee, particularly Chairman Durbin, 
for his leadership in seeing these judges through the nomination 
process.
  And as a sign of what is to come, last week, Senator Durbin led the 
Judiciary Committee to advance another 24--that is 24--new judicial 
nominees.
  Mr. President, the Senate will keep going to confirm even more judges 
to the bench as quickly as we can. When we began our majority, I said 
judges would be one of our top priorities in this Chamber, and we have 
kept that promise, and we are going to continue to work in the months 
and years ahead to ensure our courts advance the cause of equal justice 
under law for every single person in this country.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.