[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 81 (Monday, May 15, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S1641]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
Nomination of Bradley N. Garcia
Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, today, the Senate will vote to confirm
Brad Garcia to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Mr. Garcia is an accomplished appellate litigator and public servant
whose breadth and depth of experience will make him an outstanding
addition to the D.C. Circuit. A graduate of Johns Hopkins and Harvard
Law School, Mr. Garcia began his career with clerkships for judges
appointed by Presidents of both political parties, Judge Thomas
Griffith on the D.C. Circuit and Justice Elena Kagan on the U.S.
Supreme Court.
After his clerkships, Mr. Garcia joined the appellate practice of
O'Melveny and Myers, where he ultimately became a partner. During his
time at the firm, he drafted dozens of briefs in Federal and State
appellate courts and delivered 13 appellate oral arguments, including
one in the Supreme Court and 10 in the Federal courts of appeals.
Throughout his career, Mr. Garcia has demonstrated a strong
commitment to pro bono work, advocating for clients in cases
implicating the rights of immigrants and criminal defendants,
reproductive freedoms, and free and fair elections. In three cases, the
Fourth Circuit appointed Mr. Garcia either as amicus counsel or to
represent indigent criminal defendants, a testament to his impartiality
and effectiveness as an appellate attorney. Mr. Garcia currently serves
as a Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Justice Department's
Office of Legal Counsel, where he has continued to demonstrate his
commitment to public service and defending the rule of law.
If confirmed, Mr. Garcia will be the first Latino judge on the D.C.
Circuit. He was rated ``well qualified'' by the ABA and has received
support from leaders across the political spectrum, which reflects his
well-established credibility in the legal community.
Mr. Garcia is an exemplary pick for the D.C. Circuit. I strongly
support his nomination and urge my colleagues to join me in voting for
his confirmation.