[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 6]
[Senate]
[Page 8497]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          MORENO CONFIRMATION

  Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Madam President, I come to the floor to congratulate 
Justice Carlos Moreno on his confirmation as U.S. Ambassador to Belize.
  Justice Moreno has served on the Federal district court in Los 
Angeles and the California Supreme Court with distinction. I am 
confident he will continue to proudly serve his country as our Nation's 
representative to Belize.
  I have strongly supported Justice Moreno's nomination because I know 
him very well. He has a powerful intellect. He has a good heart, and he 
has sound judgment.
  The son of Mexican immigrants, Justice Moreno grew up in East Los 
Angeles. He was the first in his family to graduate from college, 
attending Yale on a scholarship and graduating in 1970. He earned his 
law degree from Stanford Law School in 1975.
  He then worked at the city attorney's office, in private practice, 
and as a judge at two levels of our State's judicial system.
  In 1997, I recommended him to President Clinton for appointment to 
the district court in Los Angeles.
  I knew then that he was a ``ten,'' and I was very proud to introduce 
him to my colleagues on the Judiciary Committee and to support his 
nomination on the floor of the Senate at that time.
  In fact, I was not the only member to speak on Justice Moreno's 
behalf on the floor. Senator Hatch did so. Senator Leahy did so. And he 
was confirmed 96-0.
  The reason is, to quote a letter from then-Los Angeles County Sheriff 
Sherman Block, that Justice Moreno ``is an extremely hard working 
individual of impeccable character and integrity.''
  In 2001, Justice Moreno was appointed by Governor Gray Davis to serve 
on the Supreme Court of California.
  I was sorry to see him leave the Federal district court, but I knew 
Governor Davis had chosen an outstanding individual to serve on our 
State's highest court.
  Anyone who has followed California law since then knows that Justice 
Moreno served with great distinction, writing with a clarity and 
passion that served as an inspiration to our State.
  In 2008, I invited him to serve on my bipartisan Judicial Advisory 
Committee in Los Angeles. I use these committees to advise me on whom 
to recommend to the President for seats on the U.S. district courts.
  Over the last 6 years, I have come to rely on Justice Moreno's fine 
judgment and sound advice in making these important appointments.
  Unfortunately, his nomination to be an ambassador meant that Justice 
Moreno had to leave my Judicial Advisory Committee behind.
  I will miss his advice on judicial appointments a great deal. But I 
believe very strongly that Justice Moreno's record shows he has the 
intellect, judgment, compassion, and temperament to serve our Nation 
very well as an ambassador.
  I am very pleased my colleagues agreed to confirm Moreno's 
nomination. He is certain to make us very proud.

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