[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 9]
[Senate]
[Pages 11488-11489]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 NOMINATION OF KENNETH M. KARAS TO BE UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE FOR 
                   THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the next nomination.
  The assistant legislative clerk read the nomination of Kenneth M. 
Karas, of New York, to be United States District Judge for the Southern 
District of New York.


                     Nomination of Kenneth M. Karas

  Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I am pleased today to speak in support of 
Kenneth Karas, who has been nominated to the United States District 
Court for the Southern District of New York.
  Mr. Karas, a graduate of Columbia University School of Law, is a 
distinguished veteran of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern 
District of New York, where he is co-chief of that office's unit 
specializing in terrorism cases. He is known among his peers as an 
``al-Qaida expert,'' for his assistance in successfully prosecuting 
four of Osama bin Laden's followers for the 1998 embassy bombings in 
East Africa. He is currently the lead prosecutor in the case against 
alleged al-Qaida terrorist Zacarias Moussaoui.
  Mr. Karas is, by all accounts, a gifted prosecutor whose familiarity 
with Federal trial procedure will benefit him immensely on the Federal 
bench.
  I applaud President Bush for his nomination of Mr. Karas and am 
confident that he will serve on the bench with compassion, integrity 
and fairness.
  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, this evening the Senate considers the 
nomination of Kenneth Karas to be a United States District Judge for 
the Southern District of New York. For the past 11 years, Mr. Karas has 
served as an assistant United States attorney for the Southern District 
of New York. He received a favorable rating from the American Bar 
Association and he has the support of both Senators from his home 
State.
  In sharp contrast to so many judicial nominees of this President, 
apparently selected for their political viewpoint, Mr. Karas appears to 
be a well-qualified, moderate nominee. He has advocated for civil 
rights and the rights of the indigent and has served the public as an 
assistant U.S. attorney for 11 years.
  Mr. Karas's testimony and answers to my questions have made me 
confident that he will treat all who appear before him with respect. 
The nomination of Mr. Karas is an example of how effectively Democrats 
and Republicans can work together when we have qualified, moderate 
nominees.
  Mr. Karas will be the ninth of President Bush's nominees confirmed to 
Federal court vacancies in New York,

[[Page 11489]]

leaving only one vacancy on the Federal judiciary in the State. The 
nominee to that vacancy was favorably reported by the Judiciary 
Committee to the Senate 7 months ago. It has been the decision of the 
Republican leadership not to move the nomination of Judge Dora 
Irizarry, a Latina nominee. Democrats have been ready to vote on Judge 
Irizarry's nomination.
  With 79 judicial confirmations in just the past year and a half, the 
Senate has confirmed more Federal judges than were confirmed during 
either Congress leading to a presidential election with a Democratic 
President and Republican Senate majority in 1996 and 2000.
  This marks the 179th judicial confirmation since President Bush took 
office. That is more than President Reagan, the acknowledged all-time 
champion, achieved in his entire 4-year presidential term from 1981 
through 1984 working hand in hand with a Republican Senate majority. It 
is more than President Clinton was able to achieve in his entire 4-year 
presidential term from 1993 through 1996, having to work with a 
Republican Senate majority during 1995 and 1996.
  I congratulate Mr. Karas and his family on his confirmation today.
  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
  There is a sufficient second.
  The question is, Will the Senate advise and consent to the nomination 
of Kenneth M. Karas, of New York, to be United States District Judge 
for the Southern District of York?
  The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk called the roll.
  Mr. McCONNELL. I announce that the Senator from Colorado (Mr. 
Campbell) is necessarily absent.
  Mr. REID. I announce that the Senator from Montana (Mr. Baucus), the 
Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Edwards), the Senator from 
Massachusetts (Mr. Kerry), and the Senator from Georgia (Mr. Miller) 
are necessarily absent.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Are there any other Senators in the Chamber 
desiring to vote?
  The result was announced--yeas 95, nays 0, as follows:

                      [Rollcall Vote No. 109 Ex.]

                                YEAS--95

     Akaka
     Alexander
     Allard
     Allen
     Bayh
     Bennett
     Biden
     Bingaman
     Bond
     Boxer
     Breaux
     Brownback
     Bunning
     Burns
     Byrd
     Cantwell
     Carper
     Chafee
     Chambliss
     Clinton
     Cochran
     Coleman
     Collins
     Conrad
     Cornyn
     Corzine
     Craig
     Crapo
     Daschle
     Dayton
     DeWine
     Dodd
     Dole
     Domenici
     Dorgan
     Durbin
     Ensign
     Enzi
     Feingold
     Feinstein
     Fitzgerald
     Frist
     Graham (FL)
     Graham (SC)
     Grassley
     Gregg
     Hagel
     Harkin
     Hatch
     Hollings
     Hutchison
     Inhofe
     Inouye
     Jeffords
     Johnson
     Kennedy
     Kohl
     Kyl
     Landrieu
     Lautenberg
     Leahy
     Levin
     Lieberman
     Lincoln
     Lott
     Lugar
     McCain
     McConnell
     Mikulski
     Murkowski
     Murray
     Nelson (FL)
     Nelson (NE)
     Nickles
     Pryor
     Reed
     Reid
     Roberts
     Rockefeller
     Santorum
     Sarbanes
     Schumer
     Sessions
     Shelby
     Smith
     Snowe
     Specter
     Stabenow
     Stevens
     Sununu
     Talent
     Thomas
     Voinovich
     Warner
     Wyden

                             NOT VOTING--5

     Baucus
     Campbell
     Edwards
     Kerry
     Miller
  The nomination was confirmed.

                          ____________________