[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 98 (Wednesday, June 10, 2026)]
[House]
[Pages H4062-H4063]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             HONORING CHIEF U.S. DISTRICT JUDGE ALIA MOSES

  (Mr. Biggs of Arizona was recognized to address the House for 5 
minutes.)
  Mr. BIGGS of Arizona. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Alia 
Moses, Chief U.S. District Judge for the Western District of Texas.
  I first met Chief Judge Moses in May 2022 in my capacity as co-chair 
of the Congressional Border Security Caucus. The United States was 
seeing an unprecedented wave of illegal immigration across the southern 
border, and Members of the House were actively trying to understand the 
impacts on our Nation, including the impact on our Federal court 
system.
  A member of the caucus who was aware of Judge Moses and her caseload 
recommended we seek her input, inviting her to virtually participate in 
our monthly meeting. Since that first connection, she has become a good 
friend and has been a wealth of information.
  My staff and I have traveled to Del Rio, Texas, the division in which 
she sits, on multiple occasions, even bringing fellow Members of the 
House with us to meet her in person.
  It gives me joy to share her story with you today. Chief Judge Moses 
is a story of firsts and one that should inspire us all. The chief was 
the youngest of six children born to her dear parents, Amelia and 
Abdalla Moses, and raised in the small farming community of Quemado, 
Texas, a mere 35 miles from where she would ascend to chief judge.
  With the support of her parents and siblings, she graduated from 
Texas Woman's University and became the first in her family to attend 
law school, choosing the University of Texas.
  In 1990, only a few years out of law school and working as an 
assistant county attorney in Austin, Chief Judge Moses was tapped to 
establish the U.S. Attorney's Office in Del Rio, Texas, where she 
continued until she was appointed as a magistrate judge in 1997.
  On July 11, 2002, she was nominated by President George W. Bush to 
serve as a U.S. district judge for the Western District of Texas. On 
November 18, 2002, she took the oath of office, becoming the first 
female district judge for the Western District of Texas and the first 
district judge to reside in the Del Rio Division. Exactly 20 years 
later, on November 18, 2022, Judge Moses became the first female chief 
judge of the district.
  Her impressive legal career isn't the only enduring aspect of her 
life. She has served as a mentor and guidepost for those around her. 
During her time as district judge, she has placed a priority on lifting 
up the young lawyers working for her, saying: ``My ambition now is to 
have a legacy of helping others, who will then turn around and help the 
next generation . . . `'
  I could tell you her ambition is true, and she has made good on that 
ambition, aim, and goal.
  I have personally interacted with a handful of her law clerks who 
possess great admiration and gratitude for her. On her 20th anniversary 
of serving as a district judge, some of her former law clerks have 
offered heartfelt sentiments, including: I didn't understand the 
jackpot I was hitting until after I got to Judge Moses' court. . . . 
Her confidence and command of the courtroom are inspiring. I take 
something I have learned from her and use it every day in my 
professional career.
  Another said: It is like a mentorship for life.
  A member of my own staff had the privilege of interning with her for 
a few weeks after completing his first year of law school and continues 
to sing her praises.
  In my experience, her teaching and guidance aren't exclusive to those 
under her legal tutelage. In 2024, my staff organized a delegation of 
staffers from other Capitol Hill offices interested in learning more 
about the border and Federal court system. Among their many meetings, 
Chief Judge Moses welcomed them to her Del Rio courtroom. She provided 
them with the opportunity to attend court proceedings and to meet with 
the head of each of the court's components. We still hear from staff 
about the impact of that experience and how it better prepared them to 
serve their elected Representatives here in Washington, D.C.
  Some years ago, Chief Judge Moses reflected on influences in her 
life, saying: ``It is amazing how God puts these mentors in your life. 
I wonder if they realize what kind of impact they are having on you 
when they are your mentors.''
  I am confident she has had that same effect on many generations of 
law clerks and those who have had the opportunity to learn from her. I 
know she has had that impact on my own chief of staff, who speaks of 
her example, guidance, devotion, and friendship often.
  Chief Judge Moses is an inspiration to all young women dreaming of 
what they can achieve. While I have only known her for a small portion 
of her 24 years on the bench, her dedication, her patriotism, and her 
love for the law

[[Page H4063]]

and the Constitution are evident to me. Our great Nation is blessed by 
her service, and my family, my staff, and I are blessed by her 
friendship.
  This month, Chief Judge Moses will be honored by having her official 
portrait hung in the United States Federal Courthouse in San Antonio, 
Texas. This tribute is well deserved. It further cements her place in 
history and her example for all those following in her footsteps.
  I say this only once and only for Chief Judge Moses: Hook `em Horns. 
I congratulate her on this immense honor.

                          ____________________