[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 6]
[Senate]
[Page 7893]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           EXECUTIVE SESSION

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                           EXECUTIVE CALENDAR

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to executive session to consider en bloc the following 
nominations: Calendar Nos. 506 and 507 only, with no other executive 
business in order.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The clerk will report the nominations en bloc.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk read the nominations of 
Jennifer Choe Groves, of Virginia, to be a Judge of the United States 
Court of International Trade; and Gary Stephen Katzmann, of 
Massachusetts, to be a Judge of the United States Court of 
International Trade.
  Thereupon, the Senate proceeded to consider the nominations en bloc.
  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, today the Senate is considering the 
nominations of Gary Katzmann of Massachusetts and Jennifer Choe Groves 
of Virginia to fill judicial vacancies on the U.S. Court of 
International Trade. It is a step in the right direction that the 
majority leader has agreed to take these nominations, but two other 
nominees to the Court of International Trade remain pending on the 
Senate floor. There is no good reason we cannot also confirm these 
nominees today.
  I support the confirmation of both highly qualified nominees. Since 
2004, Gary Katzmann has served as an Associate Justice of the 
Massachusetts Appeals Court, the State's second highest court. Before 
joining the bench, Justice Katzmann served for over 20 years as an 
Assistant U.S. Attorney for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District 
of Massachusetts. In addition to his superb credentials, Justice 
Katzmann's family is part of our Nation's history of providing refuge 
to those fleeing persecution. Justice Katzmann's father and grandmother 
came to the U.S. as refugees from Nazi Germany.
  Jennifer Choe Groves has over 20 years of legal experience working in 
private practice and the government, having served in the New York 
District Attorney's Office and in the Office of the U.S. Trade 
Representative. When confirmed, Ms. Groves will be the first Asian 
American and Pacific Islander judge to serve on the U.S. Court of 
International Trade.
  While the Senate is taking up these nominees today, the majority 
leader has allowed just 18 judicial nominees to be confirmed since 
Republicans took over the Senate majority last year. Contrast this 
dismal record to the last 2 years of George W. Bush's administration, 
when Democrats were in control. At this same point in the Bush 
Presidency, Democrats confirmed 68 of President Bush's judicial 
nominees.
  Senate Republicans have allowed only a trickle of judicial 
confirmations despite the fact that, under their watch, judicial 
vacancies have nearly doubled from 43 to 85. Of these, 29 have been 
designated as judicial emergencies where caseloads are unmanageably 
high and the administration of justice is strained.
  The harm that Republican obstruction has wrought on our Federal 
courts extends from the trial courts across America to our Nation's 
highest court. Today marks 82 days since Chief Judge Merrick Garland 
was first nominated to fill a vacancy on the Supreme Court. Under the 
Senate's recent timeline for considering judicial nominees, Chief Judge 
Garland should have received a hearing and a vote by now. Instead, 
Senate Republicans have continued as their party standard bearer has 
said to ``delay, delay, delay.'' This has resulted in a diminished 
eight-member Supreme Court that has been repeatedly unable to serve its 
highest function under our Constitution.
  It is the Senate's duty to ensure our independent judiciary can fully 
function. I hope Senate Republicans understand that obligation and act 
on Chief Judge Garland's nomination, as well as the 22 judicial 
nominations that will still remain languishing on the Senate floor 
after today.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I know of no further debate on the 
nominations.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Hearing no further debate, the question is, 
Will the Senate advise and consent to the Groves and Katzmann 
nominations en bloc?
  The nominations were confirmed en bloc.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, the 
President be immediately notified of the Senate's action, and the 
Senate then resume legislative session.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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