[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 184 (Tuesday, November 7, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S5372]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                              Nominations

  Well, Mr. President, today is going to be a very important and good 
day on the Senate floor. This morning we will confirm Monica 
Bertagnolli as the next Director of the NIH, the National Institutes of 
Health, and, later today, the Senate will hit a new milestone in our 
record of confirming President Biden's diverse, well-qualified judicial 
nominees when we confirm two more district judges--Kenly Kato to serve 
in the Central District of California and Julia Kobick to serve in the 
District of Massachusetts. With the confirmations today, the Senate 
will hit two exciting milestones: 150 total judges confirmed under 
President Biden and 100 female judges confirmed under President Biden.
  Two-thirds--two-thirds--of the judges we have confirmed are women, 
redressing the imbalance that has existed for centuries.
  We have 150 judges now who have brought integrity and impartiality to 
the bench. We have 150 judges who have expanded the diversity and 
dynamism of our courts. We have 150 judges who are restoring America's 
trust in the Federal judiciary.
  Finally, after that, we will advance the nomination of Ramon Reyes to 
be a district judge in the Eastern District of New York, setting up his 
confirmation tomorrow.
  Last night, we filed cloture on additional judicial nominees. I am 
extremely proud of the work we have done to confirm these 150 judges, 
including 100 women to the Federal Bench. I am extremely proud of the 
work we have done, again, to confirm these 150 judges.
  And let me put it in perspective. As of tonight, the Senate will have 
confirmed 100 women to the Federal bench, nearly double that of 
President Trump's entire first term and more than the full first term 
of any recent President.
  These nominees are all historic, taken together, and many are 
historic in their own right. We have confirmed the first Black woman to 
the Supreme Court, the first Muslim woman to the Federal bench, and 
much more. This Senate has now confirmed more women of color to the 
bench than any Senate under any previous President, and we aren't done. 
We aren't done. We will continue to advance judicial nominations on the 
floor of this Congress, and I thank my colleagues for their 
cooperation.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant 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.