[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 74 (Tuesday, May 2, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S1448]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



           Nominations of Michael Farbiarz and Robert Kirsch

  Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. President, I come to the floor today to support two 
remarkable, dedicated, and exceptionally qualified nominees to serve on 
the U.S. District Court of New Jersey: Mr. Michael Farbiarz and Mr. 
Robert Kirsch. Both nominees represent the best that our State has to 
offer. Both have served with distinction in various roles. Both deserve 
to be swiftly confirmed to the district court.
  Consider the distinguished public service career of Mr. Farbiarz. A 
resident of Glen Ridge, NJ, he has served as an assistant U.S. 
attorney, as cochief of the Terrorism and International Narcotics Unit, 
and general counsel of the New York-New Jersey Port Authority. His 
relentless work ethic in every role has made him a shining star in New 
Jersey's legal community--a representation that is not given but 
earned.
  And whether serving in the leadership roles that he has had, 
enforcing our laws as a Federal prosecutor, or providing legal counsel 
to those who serve on the Port Authority commission, his breadth and 
depth of legal experience prepare him well to continue his service to 
the Garden State as a fair and effective Federal judge.
  Like Mr. Farbiarz, Robert Kirsch is a dedicated public servant who 
has been capably serving on the Superior Court of New Jersey for over a 
decade. A native of South Orange, he was sponsored for his position by 
then-State Senator Tom Kean, Jr., a Republican, and was appointed by 
Governor Corzine, a Democrat.
  Throughout his tenure, Judge Kirsch has consistently earned 
bipartisan support in his long and impressive career in public service. 
He holds a wealth of experience both as a jurist and a former Federal 
prosecutor, and while presiding over a busy docket of criminal cases, 
Judge Kirsch has consistently chosen to do what is right, not what 
comes easy.
  Outside of the courtroom, Robert Kirsch is a devoted advocate for 
public safety and the well-being of his community. In particular, he 
has led a passionate effort to improve New Jersey's juvenile justice 
system, earning him numerous awards and widespread recognition. This 
commitment to fairness and impartiality--values he has demonstrated 
throughout his career--will surely be an asset while serving on the 
Federal bench.
  I submit to my colleagues that Mr. Farbiarz and Judge Kirsch are two 
phenomenal nominees to fill New Jersey's final judicial vacancies. They 
have earned ``well qualified'' ratings from the American Bar 
Association. They have letters of support from both the New Jersey 
State Bar Association and the Association of the Federal Bar of New 
Jersey.
  In short, they are the final pieces of the puzzle as I, alongside 
Senator Booker and the Biden administration, have worked to fill not 
one, not two, but eight vacancies that were existing. There was a 
judicial emergency on the District Court of New Jersey. At the 
beginning of the last Congress, the number of vacancies was so dire 
that it was deemed a ``judicial emergency.'' In one of the busiest 
courts in America, work ground to a halt as a result, creating a 
backlog that delayed justice for victims of crime and plaintiffs in 
court.
  We had our work cut out for us, but by putting our heads down and our 
noses to the grindstone, Senator Booker and I can now proudly say we 
have shepherded eight well-qualified nominees through the process. 
These are individuals who believe in precedent; who are not judicial 
activists; who are, in essence, in the mainstream of the law. All that 
remains is for this body and our colleagues to join us in confirming 
these final two nominees to their roles.
  It will be a great day for the State of New Jersey and for our 
country as we vote to elevate Michael Farbiarz and Robert Kirsch to the 
Federal bench. We thank them both for their incredibly dedicated 
service, and I certainly look forward to thanking my colleagues for 
their dutiful consideration of these two nominees on the floor.
  With that, Mr. President, I yield the floor.