Richard Durbin

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Maryland (Mr. Cardin) is necessarily absent.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Maryland (Mr. Cardin) is necessarily absent.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, in the Jewish faith, there is a central concept known as ``tikkun olam.'' Literally translated, it means ``world repair,'' and it has come to represent many Jewish individuals' commitment to bettering the world around them. While I do not practice Judaism, I share this idea that each of us has a role to play in bettering our communities. And Nancy Sage has done just that in my hometown of Springfield, IL. Executive director of the Springfield Jewish Federation for nearly a decade, Nancy has strengthened the Jewish community and improved the lives of countless people in Springfield. Prior to taking this role, Nancy had served as a volunteer for the National Jewish Federation Board. When Nancy was approached to apply for the position of executive director, she knew she could not pass up the opportunity to give back to two communities she cared deeply about: the Springfield community and the Jewish community. In her role, she has created partnerships between the Jewish community and other religious and racial groups to address challenges such as interfaith harmony and food insecurity. An example of her leadership can be found in her work to educate her community about Julius Rosenwald as part of Springfield's Rosenwald Initiative, which brought together the Jewish and Black communities to honor the life of Springfield-born philanthropist Julius Rosenwald and his work to educate African-Americans in the rural South. But her work has reached beyond Springfield and benefited communities across the country and world--Jewish and non-Jewish, alike. Under her leadership, the Jewish Federation of Springfield's Annual Campaign successfully raised money for the Jewish Federation of North America to bring humanitarian funds to sites of natural disaster and social upheaval. These efforts supported communities in need, regardless of religion or nationality. But, of course, Nancy's work was primarily centered around supporting Springfield's Jewish community, making sure that every Jewish person felt that they had a home. This work became especially important in the wake of the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack in Israel, which claimed the lives of more than 1,200 Jewish people, saw more than 250 hostages abducted, and contributed to a rise in anti-Semitism across the world. In response to her diligent, empathetic, and determined work keeping Springfield safe for all community members, the FBI awarded the Jewish Federation of Springfield with the FBI Director Community Leadership Award, which Nancy accepted on behalf of the organization. The award recognizes the achievements of those working to better their communities by promoting education and violence prevention. But that is far from the only recognition Nancy has received for her work strengthening Jewish identity, promoting religious and cultural understanding, and supporting Springfield's diverse community. As a past chair of the Small Cities Division of the Jewish Federations of North America, she received national recognition for her professionalism and work in community building. After nearly a decade in her role of executive director and a lifetime committed to the idea of tikkun olam, Nancy will retire from her role this year. Loretta and I join our neighbors in Springfield in thanking Nancy for her tireless work making our community stronger and more resilient. We are grateful for all you have done for our hometown. Nancy, in your work and in the values with which you live your life, you represent the best of Springfield. I wish you and your family all the best in this new chapter of your lives.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I am going to be brief because I know Members will be coming in here very shortly for the vote. It has been an honor to serve as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee for 4 years. We had a big job. The biggest assignment was filling judicial vacancies. As of this moment, we filled 214 Federal vacancies at the court level through activities of the Senate Judiciary Committee and the floor. It has been a burden, a challenge, but I want to really commend all of the members of the Senate Judiciary Committee on a bipartisan basis for working together to fill these vacancies. Over 90 percent of these vacancies were filled on a bipartisan basis. That is saying something, isn't it, in today's America, that we were able to find common ground. We didn't agree even on all of those nominees, but, certainly, there was an effort to reach across the aisle time and time again. When you take a look at the situation in the Senate during this period of time, it was a 50-50 split in the membership of the U.S. Senate for 2 of these years and a very small majority in the other 2 years, yet we were able to get this job done. This Senate Judiciary Committee, which I have served on for more than two decades, has given me the opportunity to review over 1,000 nominees for the Federal bench. President Biden's nominees represent some of the best I have ever seen and, certainly, achieved great levels of sophistication when it came to their background--professional and personal. For each judicial nominee, we require that the American Bar Association do an interview of their peers in the community and find out if there is anything that we should know about them before they go up for these lifetime appointments. I am happy to report that every single nominee from the Biden-Harris administration was found at least ``qualified,'' if not ``well qualified'' by the ABA review. We also have indications that these members represent diversity that has never been seen before--both professional and demographic diversity--that they bring to the bench. We have confirmed more Black women to the Federal circuit courts than all the prior Presidents of the United States combined. We confirmed the first-ever Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson--a point of personal privilege and pride for me to be part of that. She is an extraordinary Supreme Court Justice. Beyond demographic diversity, we have professional diversity. In the past 4 years, we have confirmed more former public defenders and circuit judges than all prior Presidents combined. We have confirmed State court judges, Federal magistrates, bankruptcy judges, and prosecutors who have ample experience at the professional level before they came to this Federal opportunity. We have confirmed jurists with experience protecting the rights of voters, workers, civil rights, women's rights, and LGBTQ rights. It is quite an array of these 214 qualified individuals. And I might remind you that this is the vast majority. Nearly 90 percent of these confirmations have been bipartisan. There is work to be done before we can leave here at the end of the year. Senator Schumer, as our leader, is creating opportunities for us to vote on the floor of the Senate for these lifetime appointments. Even though the work of the 118th Congress is coming to an end, our work is not done. We have 16 nominees pending on the Senate floor: 4 circuit nominees and 12 district nominees, and several more pending in committee, including 2 who will have a hearing before Thanksgiving. There is no time to waste. The Senate must try to confirm every one of these highly qualified, diverse nominees before the sun sets on the 118th Congress. The American people deserve nothing less. I yield the floor.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. I ask unanimous consent to complete my remarks before the rollcall vote starts.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Maryland (Mr. Cardin) and the Senator from Arizona (Ms. Sinema) are necessarily absent.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Arizona (Ms. Sinema) is necessarily absent.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Maryland (Mr. Cardin) and the Senator from Arizona (Ms. Sinema) are necessarily absent.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, today, the Senate will vote to confirm U.S. Magistrate Judge Jonathan Hawley to the U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois. Judge Hawley's significant courtroom experience--as both a public defender and as a magistrate judge--will make him an excellent addition to the bench. After graduating from the University of Illinois at Chicago and the DePaul University College of Law, Judge Hawley clerked for Judge Michael P. McCuskey on both the Illinois Third District Appellate Court and the U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois, as well as for Judge James D. Heiple on the Illinois Supreme Court. Following his clerkships, Judge Hawley joined the Federal public defender's office for the Central District of Illinois. He served in that office for nearly 15 years, becoming the chief Federal public defender in 2011. As a public defender, Judge Hawley litigated over 300 appeals in the Seventh Circuit, directly supervised over 1,000 appeals, and filed two briefs before the U.S. Supreme Court. In 2014, Judge Hawley was selected by the district judges of the Central District to serve as a magistrate judge. Since joining the bench, he has presided over 26 trials that have gone to verdict or judgment. In 2023, Chief Judge Sara Darrow designated Judge Hawley as the executive magistrate judge for the Central District. Judge Hawley has the strong support from myself and Senator Duckworth. In addition, he was rated unanimously ``well qualified'' by the American Bar Association. I urge my colleagues to support Judge Hawley's nomination.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Virginia (Mr. Kaine), the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Sanders), and the Senator from Arizona (Ms. Sinema) are necessarily absent.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I am honored to serve as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, where the committee members work hard to protect freedom, advance justice, protect equality, and bring balance to our Federal authorities. Over the past 4 years, we have advanced well-qualified nominees to the Federal bench who reflect the reality of America. We have made significant progress on issues important to our Nation. For many of us, the outcome of last week's election was not what we wanted, what we fought for, or what we voted for. But my priorities for the committee have not changed because of the election. I will continue to work on issues that are important to all Americans: judicial confirmations, reproductive rights for women, fixing our broken immigration system, and gun violence protection. I am especially proud of the committee's contributions to one of the most important accomplishments of the Biden-Harris administration: confirming highly qualified, independent, evenhanded judges to the Federal bench. During the Biden administration, the Senate has confirmed 213 well-qualified judges to lifetime appointments on the Federal bench. One-fourth of all the Federal judgeships have been filled in the last 4 years, and counting. Aside from their exceptional qualifications and respect for the rule of law, these judges represent historic demographic and professional diversity. Under President Biden's leadership, the Senate has confirmed more Black women to the Federal circuit courts than all Presidents combined, including--and I am proud to say this--the first ever Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. She is exceptional. We have confirmed a historic number of Asian-American, Latino, and LGBTQ+ judges. We have also confirmed more circuit judges with experience as public defenders than all other Presidents combined. The American people deserve a Federal judiciary which looks like America and reflects our reality. Until the end of my tenure as chair, I will continue to urge my colleagues to support the confirmation of these well-qualified and diverse judicial nominees.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, as chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, it is my great privilege to help lead the confirmation of the Biden-Harris administration's judicial nominees. It is one of our committee's most important tasks, and confirming fair, evenhanded judges who are dedicated to the Constitution is one of my priorities as chair. But it is even more of an honor to help confirm judges from my State of Illinois. Today, I would like to take a moment to say a word in support of April Perry, who has been nominated to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. She is highly qualified and will strengthen the Federal bench. Ms. Perry is a highly accomplished litigator whose breadth of experience in the government and the private sector makes her an outstanding nominee. A double graduate of Northwestern University, Ms. Perry clerked on the Seventh Circuit before serving as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Northern District of Illinois for more than a decade. In that role, she investigated and prosecuted a broad range of criminal cases. Additionally, Ms. Perry served as the Civil Rights and Hate Crimes coordinator, the Project Safe Childhood and Violence Against Women Act coordinator, and the Narcotics and Gangs Deputy chief in the U.S. attorney's office. Following this, Ms. Perry served in the Cook County State's attorney's office and has since expanded her legal experience as in-house counsel at GE Healthcare. Suffice it to say, Ms. Perry has proven herself an experienced, talented litigator with a dedication to the rule of law. Ms. Perry was rated ``well qualified'' by the American Bar Association and has the strong support of Senator Duckworth and myself. I urge my colleagues to support her nomination. vote on perry nomination

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fetterman) and the Senator from Arizona (Ms. Sinema) are necessarily absent.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Delaware (Mr. Coons) and the Senator from West Virginia (Mr. Manchin) are necessarily absent.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. I announce the Senator from Delaware (Mr. Coons) is necessarily absent.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Delaware (Mr. Coons) and the Senator from Hawaii (Mr. Schatz) are necessarily absent.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, today, the Senate will vote to confirm Byron B. Conway to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. Born in Green Bay, WI, Mr. Conway earned his B.A. from Santa Clara University in 1998 and his J.D. from Marquette University Law School in 2002. After graduating from law school, he worked as an associate at Gimbel Reilly Guerin & Brown LLP in Milwaukee from 2002 to 2006. There, Mr. Conway handled a variety of cases including misdemeanor and felony criminal matters involving drug offenses, battery, burglary, and white- collar crimes. Since 2006, Mr. Conway has worked at Habush Habush & Rottier S.C. (Habush), first as an associate and most recently as a shareholder. His practice at Habush has been devoted primarily to civil litigation, the majority of which has centered on personal injury claims. Mr. Conway's cases have involved, among other things: explosions, environmental contamination, product defects, workplace accidents, workers' compensation, motor vehicle accidents, nursing home neglect, premises liability, and insurance coverage disputes. Throughout his 22-year legal career, he has tried 20 jury cases. The American Bar Association unanimously rated Mr. Conway as ``qualified,'' and his nomination is strongly supported by his home State Senators, Ms. Baldwin and Mr. Johnson. With deep ties to Wisconsin and significant litigation experience, Mr. Conway is prepared to serve honorably as a district judge on the Eastern District of Wisconsin. I am proud to support his nomination.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Delaware (Mr. Coons) is necessarily absent.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from California (Ms. Butler), the Senator from Maryland (Mr. Cardin), the Senator from Delaware (Mr. Coons), the Senator from Illinois (Mr. Durbin), and the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Sanders) are necessarily absent.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from California (Ms. Butler), the Senator from Maryland (Mr. Cardin), and the Senator from Delaware (Mr. Coons) are necessarily absent. Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Arkansas (Mr. Cotton), the Senator from Mississippi (Mrs. Hyde-Smith), the Senator from Alaska (Mr. Sullivan), the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Tillis), and the Senator from Ohio (Mr. Vance).