In Appreciation of Milagros Cisneros' Work with the House Judiciary Committee

Floor Speech

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Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, today, as the Chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary, I join with Representative Karen Bass, Chair of the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security, in expressing our appreciation for Milagros Cisneros' work with the Committee over the past two years.

Milagros came to us as a detailee from the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, having worked for nearly sixteen years as an Assistant Federal Public Defender in Phoenix, Arizona, representing indigent clients in federal criminal cases. Prior to starting her career as a public defender, Milagros attended Bryn Mawr College and the Arizona State University College of Law.

At the conclusion of her detail to the Committee, she will be resuming her work in the Federal Defender's office in Phoenix, Arizona.

As counsel to the Committee's Democrats, Milagros provided indispensable analysis and advice concerning oversight hearings and a wide range of proposed legislation concerning various issues, such as criminal justice reform, prison reform, reforming our drug laws, com batting violence against women, immigration-related issues, tribal justice issues, and the federal death penalty. Her works was particularly instrumental in obtaining passage of the Effective Assistance of Counsel in the Digital Era Act, the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act, and important provisions in the CARES Act and HEROEs Act to protect incarcerated individuals from the COVID-19 pandemic.

As the Committee continued its effort to reform our criminal justice system, Milagros' experience as a federal defender informed our legislative and oversight efforts, particularly with respect to issues related to the Department of Justice's implementation of the FIRST STEP Act.

We have appreciated and benefited from Milagros' energy, enthusiasm, and insight over the past two years, during which she became an integral part of our team. We will miss her.

We thank Milagros for her selfless service to the Committee, and we wish her the best as she continues her career.

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