Durbin Delivers Opening Statement During Judiciary Committee Hearing on 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 Charnelle Bjelkengren, to be United
States District Judge for the Eastern District of Washington; Matthew P.
Brookman, to be United States District Judge for the Southern District of Indiana;
Michael Farbiarz, to be United States District Judge for the District of New
Jersey; Robert Kirsch, to be United States District Judge for the District of
New Jersey; and Orelia Eleta Merchant, to be United States District Judge for
the Eastern District of New York. This is the Committee’s first
nominations hearing of the 118th Congress.
Key quotes:
“Each of today’s nominees has received
blue slips from both of their home state Senators… This includes Judge Matthew
Brookman, who has received blue slips from Indiana’s Senators, Senator Young
and Senator Braun. I would like to thank Senator Young and Senator
Braun for continuing to work in good faith to fill federal judicial vacancies
in their home state. They have shown, once again, that this process can
work on a bipartisan basis—and can result in outstanding nominees.”
“We have received 12 blue slips so far
[from Republican Senators on Biden district court nominees]. I think
we can do better. This is a sharp contrast from the previous president.
Under the Trump Administration, Democratic Senators returned 130 blue slips for
Trump district court nominees. This led to the confirmation of 84
nominees – almost half of all Trump district court confirmations.”
“I encourage my Republican colleagues to
follow the example set by Senators Young and Braun and a number of other
Republican Senators – including our incoming Ranking Member Senator Graham and
our outgoing Ranking Member Senator Grassley. We ask them to engage with
the White House and work in good faith to swiftly identify and advance highly
qualified nominees for the federal bench.”
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.
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