[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 5]
[Senate]
[Page 6994]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                            ALLEN NOMINATION

  Mr. WEBB. Mr. President, I would like to express my appreciation to 
the leadership in the Senate of both parties for scheduling a vote 
today on Arenda Wright Allen's confirmation for a seat on the U.S. 
District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.
  All of us in this body know how important it is to fill the vacancies 
on our Federal bench, and particularly when we have highly qualified 
nominees who have no particular issues that need to be discussed in a 
political sense, and Virginia is no exception in this matter. The sheer 
volume of our Federal court workload demands we appoint dedicated, 
qualified jurists.
  In that regard, Senator Mark Warner and myself were very pleased to 
have recommended Arenda L. Wright Allen to the President in June of 
last year for this position on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern 
District of Virginia. President Obama nominated Arenda Wright Allen 
last December. She was renominated this year. She was reported out of 
the Judiciary Committee without opposition on March 10 of this year, 
and I believe the President has made an extraordinary choice in 
nominating Ms. Wright Allen.
  Whenever a vacancy has occurred on the Virginia Federal bench, 
Senator Warner and I have very carefully conducted thorough and 
extensive reviews of candidates for the position. This review process 
includes interviews and recommendations by the bar associations and in-
person interviews with many of the candidates. I am proud to say the 
Virginia candidate pool from which we had to choose on this particular 
occasion was excellent. It was deep. It included judges, legal 
scholars, and skilled trial attorneys.
  From this very competitive field, Senator Warner and I moved for the 
nomination of Ms. Wright Allen. She distinguished herself as the 
premier candidate in a very competitive field for this vacancy.
  Ms. Wright Allen has displayed during her career the highest degree 
of integrity, competence, and commitment to the rule of law. She 
exemplifies the best of the Virginia Bar and, in fact, received the 
highest ranking from the Virginia State Bar.
  As one who was privileged to serve as Secretary of the Navy and also 
as a combat marine, I personally understand the sacrifices that 
veterans have made to their country. Ms. Wright Allen is a veteran of 
the U.S. Navy. She served for 5 years as an Active-Duty JAG officer, 
and she continued her service as a Reserve JAG officer until her 
retirement from the Navy as a commander in 2005.
  Her record of military service is excellent. Given the huge military 
presence in the Eastern District of Virginia, I believe this military 
experience will be valuable to her in her capacity as a Federal judge.
  Ms. Wright Allen has dedicated her civilian career to serving her 
community, first as a Federal prosecutor and since 2005 as a Federal 
public defender. Unanimously, prosecutors and defenders who have worked 
with or have been on the opposing side to Ms. Wright Allen have 
attested to her talent, her dedication, and above all her exceptional 
character. Upon meeting her, it was clear to me she possesses the 
correct judicial temperament and dedication to make an excellent judge.
  I have also had the pleasure of meeting her family and a number of 
her friends. Her dedication to her family, her church, and her 
community is clearly evident. I am proud Virginia has such an exemplary 
individual to put forward as a Federal district court judge nominee, 
and I urge all my colleagues to support Ms. Wright Allen today.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Arizona.

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