[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 104 (Thursday, June 20, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Page S4165]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                    Nomination of Nancy L. Maldonado

  Madam President, on a separate topic, later today, the Senate will 
vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the nomination of Judge Nancy 
Maldonado to be a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh 
Circuit. She is an accomplished litigator and a distinguished juror who 
would be a great asset to the Seventh Circuit.
  She graduated from Harvard College and Columbia Law School. She 
clerked for U.S. District Judge Ruben Castillo, an esteemed jurist on 
the Northern District of Illinois. Ruben Castillo is a personal friend 
of mine. He was appointed by my predecessor, Paul Simon. When Nancy 
Maldonado's name was first mentioned--and she served as district court 
judge--I called Judge Castillo and said: Do you think she is ready to 
move to the circuit court? He said: I know she is. That was a great 
endorsement that I took very seriously.
  Following her clerkship, Judge Maldonado spent nearly 20 years at a 
firm specializing in plaintiff-side employment, civil rights, and fraud 
matters. Over the course of her career, she tried many cases to 
verdict, judgment, or final resolution.

  In addition, she was appointed by the Cook County State Attorney's 
Office to serve as a special assistant investigating fraud. From 2019 
to 2022, she was appointed by the Illinois attorney general to serve as 
a consent decree monitor in two matters and as a special assistant 
attorney general to investigate consumer fraud.
  In 2022, the Senate confirmed Judge Maldonado on a bipartisan vote to 
the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Since 
her confirmation, despite some of the things that have been said 
incorrectly on the floor, Nancy Maldonado has presided over 1,000 
cases--1,000 cases--ruled on thousands of motions, and issued 
approximately 300 substantive decisions as a district court judge.
  Notably, Judge Maldonado has never, never been reversed by a 
reviewing court. This shows that she is carefully resolving cases in a 
way that ensures that litigants feel they were treated fairly in the 
courtroom.
  If confirmed, she will be the first Hispanic judge to serve ever on 
the Seventh Circuit Court.
  She has my strong support as well as the support of my colleague 
Senator Duckworth.
  She received a unanimous rating of ``well qualified'' from the 
American Bar Association.
  The suggestion that she does not carry her load or work hard in court 
is just not fair. She has shown over and over again that she has a 
reputation for integrity, professional competence, and judicial 
temperament.
  Judge Maldonado also has broad support from across the legal 
community, from law enforcement, labor unions, as well as the National 
Education Association.
  I urge my colleagues to support her nomination.
  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. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Lujan). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.
  The Republican whip.