Congressional Record—Senate S7014

S7014 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE December 9, 2016 in the mainstream, and who helped en- Paul Oetken, the first openly gay man sent is a critical check on any Presi- sure the Federal judiciary reflects all confirmed to be a district judge; Judge dent, and by protecting the independ- Americans. President Obama’s nomi- Ramona Villagomez Manglona, the ence of the third branch, we uphold our nees included Judge Christina Reiss, first indigenous person to serve as a Constitution. The late Chief Justice the first woman to serve on the Dis- U.S. District Court Judge in the North- Rehnquist referred to our independent trict of Vermont; Judge Andre Davis, ern Mariana Islands; Judge Bernice judiciary as the crown jewel of our de- just the third African American to Donald, the first African-American mocracy, and he was absolutely right. I serve on the Fourth Circuit; Judge woman to serve on the Sixth Circuit; have worked to protect and strengthen Irene Berger, the first African-Amer- Judge Cathy Bissoon, the first woman that crown jewel during my time as ican Federal judge in West Virginia; of color to serve on the Western Dis- chairman and ranking member of the Judge Abdul Kallon, the third African- trict of Pennsylvania; Judge Sharon Senate Judiciary Committee, and I will American district judge in Alabama, Gleason, the first woman to serve on continue to do so in the years ahead. whose nomination to be the first Afri- the District of Alaska; Judge Morgan f can American from Alabama to serve Christen, the first woman from Alaska on a Federal appeals court is being to serve on the Ninth Circuit; Judge ATTORNEYS GENERAL IN blocked by that State’s Senators; Nannette Brown, the first African- CENTRAL AMERICA Judge Jacqueline Nguyen, the first Vi- American woman to serve as a Federal Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, the etnamese American to serve as a Fed- district judge in Louisiana; Judge Northern Triangle countries of Central eral district judge and now the first Nancy Torresen, the first woman to America—El Salvador, Honduras, and Asian Pacific American woman to serve on the District of Maine; Judge Guatemala—face many similar chal- serve as a Federal circuit judge as well; Steve Jones, who became one of only lenges: poverty, gangs, violence, cor- Judge Dolly Gee, the first Chinese two active African-American Federal ruption, and organized crime. Another American woman to serve as a Federal judges in Georgia; Judge Paul Watford, one of these challenges is weak judicial judge; Judge Rosanna Peterson, the who is one of only two African-Ameri- systems. first woman to serve on the Eastern cans serving on the Ninth Circuit; For as long as anyone can remember, District of Washington; Judge Nancy Judge Adalberto Jordan, the first judges in these countries, no matter Freudenthal, the first female Federal Cuban-born judge on the 11th Circuit; how unqualified, have been selected judge in Wyoming; Judge Benita Pear- Judge Stephanie Thacker, the first through opaque processes which have son, the first African-American Federal woman from West Virginia to serve on benefited those with personal or polit- judge in Ohio; Judge Kimberly Mueller, the Fourth Circuit; Judge Shelley ical connections or the ability to curry the first woman to serve on the East- Dick, the first woman to serve on the favor. Attorneys general have often ern District of California; Judge Ed- Middle District of Louisiana; Judge turned out to be corrupt and in cahoots mond Chang, the first Asian American Landya McCafferty, the first woman to with organized crime, or they have Federal judge in Illinois; Judge Carlton serve on the District of New Hamp- been harassed and threatened to the Reeves, the second African-American shire; Judge Susan Watters, the first point that they have declined to pursue district judge in Mississippi; Judge woman to serve on the District of Mon- cases against powerful elites or have William Martinez, the second Hispanic tana; Judge Elizabeth Wolford, the left the country out of fear for their to serve on the District of Colorado; first woman to serve on the Western own safety or that of their families. Judge J. Michelle Childs, the second District of New York; Judge Debra But there are some signs that things African-American woman to serve on Brown, the first African-American are changing for the better. Today, the District of South Carolina; Judge woman to serve as a Federal judge in each of these countries has an attorney Tanya Pratt, the first African-Amer- Mississippi; and Judge Diane general who is working to end the his- ican Federal judge in Indiana; Judge Humetewa, the first Native American tory of impunity that has enabled al- Lucy Koh, the first Korean American woman to serve as a Federal judge. We most anyone, including members of the woman to serve as a Federal judge; can all be proud that our Federal bench police and armed forces, to get away Judge Gloria Navarro, then the only today better reflects the broad diver- with the most heinous crimes. woman and only Hispanic on the Dis- sity of our Nation and represents the In Guatemala, Attorney General trict of Nevada; Judge Barbara Keenan, best of the legal profession. Thelma Aldana Hernandez; in El Sal- the first woman from Virginia to serve However, the nominees that are vador, Attorney General Douglas on the Fourth Circuit; Judge O. being obstructed on the floor today in- Melendez Ruiz; and in Honduras, Attor- Rogeriee Thompson, the first African- clude Armando Bonilla, who would be ney General Oscar Fernando Chinchilla American and just the second woman the first Hispanic judge to ever serve Banegas have each shown that they to serve on the First Circuit; Judge Al- on the U.S. Court of Federal Claims; take seriously their responsibility to bert Diaz, the first Latino to serve on Stephanie Finley, who would be the act with professionalism and impar- the Fourth Circuit; Judge Mary first African-American judge to serve tiality in pursuit of justice. For doing Murguia, the first Hispanic and the on the Western District of Louisiana; so, they have each faced attempts to second woman from Arizona to serve Lucy Koh, who would be the first Ko- thwart their efforts through intimida- on the Ninth Circuit; Judge Denny rean American woman to be a circuit tion and threats. Chin, who upon confirmation to the court judge; and Florence Pan, who In the U.S. Congress we recognize the Second Circuit became the only active would be the first Asian American challenges and dangers they face, and Asian Pacific American judge on our woman on the district court in DC. I we strongly support them. No democ- circuit courts; Judge Marco Hernandez, am also disappointed that we have not racy can survive without a justice sys- the first Latino to serve as a Federal moved forward on the nomination of tem that has the confidence and re- judge in Oregon; Judge James Graves, African-American Judge Richard spect of the people. There is nothing the first African-American from Mis- Boulware to serve on the U.S. Sen- more fundamental to a credible justice sissippi to serve on the Fifth Circuit; tencing Commission. The Sentencing system than an independent judiciary Judge James Shadid, the first Arab Commission currently does not have a and professionally trained prosecutors American Federal judge in Illinois; single person of color serving as a com- who are trustworthy. Equal access to Judge Mae D’Agostino, the only missioner—yet it impacts criminal jus- justice is a necessity for all people, re- woman on the Northern District of New tice issues that deeply affect commu- gardless of economic status, race, reli- York; Judge Jimmie Reyna, the first nities of color. gion, ethnicity, gender, or political af- Latino on the Federal circuit; Judge In the 20 years that I have been filiation. Edward Chen, just the second Asian chairman or ranking member of the It is in the interest of each of these Pacific American to serve on the Judiciary Committee, I have worked attorneys general to share best prac- Northern District of California; Judge with Republicans and Democrats to en- tices; to collectively reinforce the im- Arenda Wright Allen, the first African- sure that our committee has provided a portance of investing in stronger judi- American woman to serve as a Federal fair and thorough process for judicial cial institutions; to develop a joint district judge in Virginia; Judge J. nominees. Our power of advice and con- strategy for using their offices to help VerDate Sep 11 2014 06:50 Dec 11, 2016 Jkt 069060 PO 00000 Frm 00084 Fmt 4637 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A09DE6.152 S09DEPT1 rfrederick on DSKBCBPHB2PROD with SENATE December 9, 2016 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S7015 promote economic and social develop- BUDGETARY REVISIONS spending associated with this provi- ment and the rule of law; and to estab- Mr. ENZI. Mr. President, section 251 sion, $1,416 million in revised nonsecu- lish a regional mechanism for col- of the Balanced Budget and Emergency rity budget authority and $25 million lecting and sharing information to sup- Deficit Control Act of 1985, BBEDCA, in outlays, eligible for an adjustment port crime prevention, investigations, establishes statutory limits on discre- under the Congressional Budget Act. and prosecutions. tionary spending and allows for various Finally, Division B provides funding It is also critically important that adjustments to those limits, while sec- for the Department of Defense and U.S. they continue to work cooperatively tions 302 and 314(a) of the Congres- international affairs entities for coun- with regional independent judicial in- sional Budget Act of 1974 allow the terterrorism and other national secu- stitutions, like the International Com- chairman of the Budget Committee to rity efforts.

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