[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 92 (Monday, June 1, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2464-S2465]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    NOMINATION OF JEFFREY M. KUHLMAN

  Mr. MORAN. Madam President, the Senate will shortly consider--in 
fact, tomorrow we will vote on cloture and the confirmation of the 
nomination of--Jeffrey Kuhlman to be a judge for the U.S. District 
Court for the District of Kansas. I rise this evening to urge my 
colleagues to support his confirmation.
  During my time in the Senate, I have had the opportunity to vote on 
the confirmation of three current Kansas district court judges. With 
each nominee, I weigh the candidate's temperament, principles, 
experience, and commitment to administer equal justice under the law.
  In addition to the three current court judges in Kansas, there are 
three additional vacancies in the district courts of Kansas. Mr. 
Kuhlman is the first of the three Kansans the Senate will be 
considering to fill those vacancies.
  I certainly had the opportunity to meet with Mr. Kuhlman. I 
encouraged the White House to make his nomination to be a judge, and I 
was impressed. I would not have done that but for my sincere and real 
impression of his expertise, his legal experience, and his commitment 
to serving the people in Kansas.
  I have always had a desire to see, as growing up in a small town in 
rural Kansas, that there might be Federal judges who could come from 
small towns, and I have always been looking for someone who practices 
law in a small town in our State that has Federal court experience.
  Mr. Kuhlman is a native of western Kansas. He grew up in a county-
seat town called Ness City, not too far from my hometown, and it has a 
population of just a little over a thousand. And maybe this doesn't 
matter to everyone--or to most people--but I want people who grew up in 
that manner to know that there is a future, that there are things that 
they can do, and that there is not a handicap to be a smalltown, rural 
Kansas kid.
  In helping select candidates for the White House, I had the goal of 
making certain we selected qualified candidates from across the State, 
but I also was always interested in ``Could there be a rural person?''
  Jeffrey earned his bachelor's degree in history from Kansas State 
University before receiving his law degree from the Antonin Scalia Law 
School at George Mason University.
  After law school, Mr. Kuhlman returned to Kansas and was selected to 
serve a 2-year clerkship for who soon became Chief Judge Eric F. 
Melgren. In that role, he gained experience. He gained valuable and 
hands-on experience across all phases of Federal litigation.
  Jeffrey then entered private practice as a litigation associate at a 
Wichita firm, the Hinkle Law Firm.
  Mr. Kuhlman now has been a partner at Watkins Calcara in Great Bend, 
where his practice focuses on civil litigation, including municipal 
law, constitutional matters, commercial disputes, and personal injury 
cases.
  Mr. Kuhlman and his wife Lauren--who is originally from Albert, an 
even smaller town--are raising their five young children in Great Bend, 
another small town in Kansas.
  Mr. Kuhlman has demonstrated strong commitment to the rule of law, a 
deep respect for the Constitution, and a clear dedication to serving 
the people of Kansas. His experience both inside and outside the 
courtroom has prepared him well for the responsibilities

[[Page S2465]]

of the Federal bench, and I am confident in his professional competence 
and judicial temperament.
  I am pleased to support his nomination, and I urge my colleagues to 
join me in voting to confirm Mr. Jeffrey Kuhlman as a U.S. district 
judge for Kansas. I believe he would meet all of the qualifications and 
the desires of the Members of the U.S. Senate.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New Jersey.

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