[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 14]
[Senate]
[Page 19534]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   NOMINATION OF LEONARD STEVEN GRASZ

  Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, this week, the Senate will consider 
three more outstanding individuals nominated by President Trump to 
serve on our Nation's Federal circuit courts.
  For 8 years, we had a President who selected judicial nominees based 
on a so-called ``empathy standard.'' It was an ideological litmus test 
designed to find nominees who would favor certain groups or individuals 
over others. While that may sound like a good standard for the party in 
the case for whom the judge has empathy, it doesn't sound so great if 
you are the other person.
  On the other hand, President Trump has nominated talented individuals 
who will ensure that the Federal judiciary maintains its particular 
role in our constitutional system. The judicial nominees before the 
Senate this week are each well-credentialed and have the integrity and 
temperament to serve our Nation on the circuit courts. They are 
dedicated to upholding the rule of law and giving every litigant a fair 
shake. That is how the American people expect judges to decide cases, 
and the Senate is working to confirm President Trump's nominees, who 
will do just that.
  First, the Senate will consider the nomination of Leonard Steven 
Grasz to serve on the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals. Then it will 
consider the nomination of Texas Supreme Court Justice Don Willett to 
serve on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. Finally, later this week, 
the Senate will consider the nomination of James Ho to serve on the 
Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. Each of these nominees will make strong 
additions to the Federal bench, and I look forward to considering them 
in the coming days.
  I wish to once again commend Chairman Grassley for his leadership of 
the Senate Judiciary Committee. His excellent work has allowed us to 
bring these nominees to the floor.
  Later today, the Senate will advance the nomination of Mr. Grasz, a 
talented individual with experience in both private practice and public 
service.
  After graduating from law school at the University of Nebraska, Mr. 
Grasz began a distinguished career in law. Working as the chief deputy 
attorney general of Nebraska for nearly 12 years, he excelled, 
representing the State of Nebraska in numerous appellate cases, 
including before the U.S. Supreme Court.
  Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts, along with five other top State 
officials, wrote a letter to the Judiciary Committee supporting Mr. 
Grasz's nomination. Here is what they had to say:

       Steve has become a leading expert on state and federal 
     constitutional law. His demeanor and temperament have earned 
     the respect of Nebraskans across the political spectrum in 
     our state.

  Mr. Grasz has won the support of prominent Nebraskans from both sides 
of the aisle. Our former colleague, Senator Ben Nelson, came to know 
Mr. Grasz when Senator Nelson was the Governor of Nebraska. Senator 
Nelson wrote:

       Steve won my respect by putting considerable skills to work 
     as an effective legal advocate for our state.
       We sometimes found ourselves disagreeing on policy; 
     nevertheless, I quickly learned that Steve was the kind of 
     consummate professional who is capable of putting whatever 
     personal views he may have aside when appropriate in his 
     capacity as a public servant.
       He was an asset to our state, and Nebraskans benefitted 
     from having such a capable and thoughtful professional in 
     public service.

  Furthermore, the Obama administration's U.S. attorney for Nebraska 
worked with Mr. Grasz in the State, and she wrote in support of his 
nomination:

       Steve has always enjoyed a reputation for honesty, 
     impeccable integrity and dedication to the rule of law.
       He possesses an even temperament well-suited for the bench, 
     and always acts with respect to all [who] interact with him.

  In addition, a letter from the current and previous presidents of the 
Omaha Bar Association stated that the Omaha legal community supports 
Mr. Grasz's nomination ``without hesitation.'' The letter goes on to 
say that he ``possesses the legal expertise, professionalism, 
character, and ethics that are demanded of a Judge on the Eighth 
Circuit Court of Appeals.''
  The local legal community--both government officials and private 
attorneys--overwhelmingly attest not just to Mr. Grasz's impressive 
qualifications but to his commitment to fairness and the rule of law.
  Through his decades of legal practice, Mr. Grasz has shown that he is 
the right choice to serve on the Eighth Circuit. I am proud to join 
with our colleagues from Nebraska in supporting Mr. Grasz's nomination. 
I look forward to voting to advance this nomination later today and to 
confirming all three of these circuit court nominees this week.

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