Judiciary Committee Advances One Circuit Court Nominee, Eleven District Court Nominees

WASHINGTON – The Senate Judiciary Committee today advanced the nominations of Alison J. Nathan, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Second Circuit; Victoria Marie Calvert, to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of Georgia; John H. Chun, to be United States District Judge for the Western District of Washington; Sarah Elisabeth Geraghty, to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of Georgia; Dale E. Ho, to be United States District Judge for the Southern District of New York; Charlotte N. Sweeney, to be United States District Judge for the District of Colorado; Hernan D. Vera, to be United States District Judge for the Central District of California; Georgette Castner, to be United States District Judge for the District of New Jersey; Ruth Bermudez Montenegro, to be United States District Judge for the Southern District of California; Julie Rebecca Rubin, to be United States District Judge for the District of Maryland; Cristina D. Silva, to be United States District Judge for the District of Nevada; and Anne Rachel Traum, to be United States District Judge for the District of Nevada.

Nathan received a vote of 13-9; Calvert received a vote of 13-9; Chun received a vote of 12-10; Geraghty received a vote of 12-10; Ho received a vote of 11-11; Sweeney received a vote of 11-11; Vera received a vote of 11-11; Castner received a vote of 12-10; Montenegro received a vote of 14-8; Rubin received a vote of 13-9; Silva received a vote of 12-10; and Traum received a vote of 12-10. Under the provisions of S. Res. 27, Leader Schumer may now file a discharge motion on the Ho, Sweeney, and Vera nominations to place them on the executive calendar.

The Committee also advanced S. 2992, the American Innovation and Choice Online Act, by a vote of 16-6.

Key Durbin quotes on today’s nominees:

“[Judge Nathan is] highly qualified… [For] 10 years, she served with distinction on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. [She has] authored over 1,500 opinions, [and] presided over 45 trials that have gone to verdict or judgement… Judge Nathan was found unanimously ‘Well Qualified’ by the ABA.”

“[Dale Ho is] a highly skilled litigator with a significant appellate practice… He’s spent the majority of his career as a civil rights lawyer… [with] experience in long-running, complex civil matters and in proceedings for preliminary relief.”

Durbin also spoke to his support for the American Innovation and Choice Online Act:

“This legislation addresses the efforts by online platforms to use their market dominance to preference their own products over those of other businesses that use the platform, or to discriminate against other businesses in the enforcement of the platform’s terms of service in a way that would materially harm competition.”

“I believe this bill is a step in the right direction, and I am particularly encouraged by a group that I respect—Consumer Reports—which sent a letter this week saying that they applauded the bipartisan group of Senators working together to address the problematic market power of the largest online platforms.”

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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