[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 8]
[Senate]
[Pages 10633-10634]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          JUDICIAL NOMINATIONS

  Mr. LEAHY. Madam President, the judges that fill the two Federal 
district court seats in my home State have an extraordinary impact on 
the lives of Vermonters. So when I learned that one of my dearest 
friends, Judge William Sessions, was to take senior status after 18 
years of distinguished service on the Vermont district court, I took 
seriously my responsibility to act swiftly to identify a candidate to 
recommend to President Obama for nomination. I worked with Senator 
Sanders, Representative Welch, and the Vermont Bar Association to 
convene a nonpartisan merit commission to find highly qualified 
candidates.
  So I again thank the nine members of the nonpartisan Vermont Judicial 
Selection Commission, under the leadership of Peter Van Oot, for the 
time, effort, and insight they invested in the screening process. We 
are fortunate in our small State of Vermont to have so many highly 
qualified lawyers in the field of applicants willing to serve in such a 
demanding post. There were a number of highly qualified people. After 
being vetted and recommended to me by the commission, I recommended 
Justice Geoffrey Crawford to President Obama. I told the President I 
was not surprised that after the American Bar Association Standing 
Committee on the Federal Judiciary finished its vetting, they gave him 
their highest rating of unanimously well qualified.
  Justice Crawford has significant criminal and civil experience. He 
was a Vermont trial court judge for 11 years and recently became an 
Associate Justice on the Vermont Supreme Court. He formerly was a 
partner in a Burlington law firm. Justice Crawford earned his B.A., cum 
laude, from Yale University and his J.D., cum laude, from Harvard Law 
School. Following law school he served as a law clerk to Judge Albert 
Coffrin of the U.S. District Court for the District of Vermont.
  I did not know Justice Crawford personally before this process, but 
when I did meet him I was struck by his brilliance, compassion, and 
humility. Justice Crawford earned a stellar reputation in Vermont's 
legal community, and also from those who had appeared before him, as a 
careful jurist who understands the effects that legal rulings have on 
people's lives. I have no doubt that once confirmed he will bring that 
same understanding and impartiality to the Federal bench.
  The Judiciary Committee favorably reported Justice Crawford's 
nomination unanimously by voice vote to the full Senate. Justice 
Crawford, like the three other nominees we will vote on today, has been 
nominated to fill an emergency vacancy. He is a qualified 
uncontroversial nominee with the full support of his home state 
Senators. He and the three other nominees deserve to be confirmed 
without delay.
  I thank the majority leader for bringing these nominations up for a 
vote and urge Senators to vote to defeat these filibusters and get 
these nominees working for the American people in courthouses around 
the Nation. Justice Geoffrey Crawford will serve Vermont well as a 
Federal district judge, and I look forward to his confirmation.
  Madam President, I don't see anyone else at the moment, so I would 
suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New Hampshire.

[[Page 10634]]


  Ms. AYOTTE. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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