[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 6]
[Senate]
[Pages 8473-8474]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       NOMINATION OF AMUL THAPAR

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, on another matter, later today Senators 
will vote to confirm Judge Amul Thapar of Kentucky to the U.S. Appeals 
Court for the Sixth Circuit. Judge Thapar will make an outstanding 
addition to the U.S. Appeals Court for the Sixth Circuit. He has a 
reputation as a qualified judge with an impressive legal mind. He will 
fairly apply the law to all those who enter his courtroom because, in 
Judge Thapar's

[[Page 8474]]

own words, ``the most important attribute of a judge is to be open-
minded and not to prejudice a case without reading the briefs, 
researching the law, and hearing from the parties.''
  In 2007, President Bush nominated him to be a U.S. district judge for 
the Eastern District of Kentucky. At that time, the Senate confirmed 
his nomination on a voice vote, and Judge Thapar became the first South 
Asian American Federal judge in the history of our country. When we 
confirm him to the Sixth Circuit later today, he will be the second 
South Asian American judge ever to serve on a Federal circuit court.
  Judge Thapar has been recognized for his work on the bench. The most 
recent edition of the Almanac of the Federal Judiciary quoted attorneys 
who ``agreed that Thapar has excellent legal ability.'' Additionally, 
the American Bar Association, which prominent Senate Democrats have 
called ``the gold standard'' for evaluating judges, awarded him its 
highest rating--unanimously ``well qualified.'' In other words, the 
people involved in rating him couldn't find anybody who didn't say he 
was well qualified. That is the highest rating one can achieve.
  Judge Thapar has the necessary credentials, integrity, and respect 
from his colleagues to join the Sixth Circuit. I am proud to support 
him, and I urge all Senators to vote to confirm Judge Thapar's 
nomination later today.

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