Durbin Delivers Opening Statement During Hearing on Latest Circuit and District Court Nominations

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today delivered an opening statement at the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the nominations of Anthony Devos Johnstone, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit; Daniel J. Calabretta, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of California; Matthew L. Garcia, to be United States District Judge for the District of New Mexico; Jeffery Paul Hopkins, to be United States District Judge for the Southern District of Ohio; Lindsay C. Jenkins, to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of Illinois; and Adrienne C. Nelson, to be United States District Judge for the District of Oregon.

Key quotes:

“While it’s rare for the Committee to hold a nominations hearing when the Senate is not in session, it has happened before, more than once.  In the 115th and 116th Congresses, under Republican Committee chairs, the Committee held four nominations hearings during Senate recesses: one in September 2017, two in October 2018, and, of course, the hearing for the Supreme Court nomination of then-Judge Amy Coney Barrett.” 

“Three of those hearings were held on days that the Senate was originally scheduled to be in session. Today is no different.  My staff gave the Ranking Member’s staff advance notice, as far back as August 17, that we were planning to hold this hearing on this day.  Members have had ample time to prepare.  In short, we undertake today’s hearing squarely within the precedential bounds set by previous chairs.”

“It is my great pleasure to introduce Lindsay Jenkins, nominated to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of my state of Illinois… After clerking for Judge Solomon Oliver, Jr. on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio and working in private practice for two years, Ms. Jenkins spent the majority of her legal career—15 years—as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois. As an AUSA, Ms. Jenkins prosecuted a range of cases from violations of drug and firearm laws, to fraud, to gang-related activity, to civil rights violations, to corruption… I look forward to hearing more about Ms. Jenkins’s courtroom experience, management credentials, and deep knowledge of the NDIL.”

“I am also pleased to introduce Judge Daniel Calabretta, nominated to the Eastern District of California… Before his appointment to the bench, Judge Calabretta spent 14 years in legal practice—as an associate at Munger, Tolles & Olson, as a Deputy Attorney General in the California Department of Justice, and as the Deputy Legal Affairs Secretary to Governor Brown…  If confirmed, Judge Calabretta will be the first openly gay judge to serve on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California.  The Eastern District is badly in need of judges, as it has one of the highest average per judge workloads in the nation. And I hope that the Senate is able to swiftly confirm Judge Calabretta, along with our other outstanding nominees.”

Video of Durbin’s opening statement is available here.

Audio of Durbin’s opening statement is available here.

Footage of Durbin’s opening statement is available here for TV Stations.

Biography of Lindsay C. Jenkins from the White House is below:

Lindsay C. Jenkins is a partner at Cooley LLP in Chicago, Illinois, where she has worked since 2021. She previously served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois from 2006 to 2021. Ms. Jenkins was previously an associate at Jones Day from 2004 to 2006. She served as a law clerk for Judge Solomon Oliver, Jr. on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio from 2002 to 2004. Ms. Jenkins received her J.D., summa cum laude, from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law at Cleveland State University, in 2002 and her B.A. from Miami University of Ohio in 1998.

-30-