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Floor Speech

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Mr. MARKEY. Mr. President, I come to the floor today to speak in support of the nomination of Judge Margaret Guzman to serve as a U.S. district judge for the District of Massachusetts. Yesterday, the Senate invoked cloture on Judge Guzman's nomination, and in a few minutes, we will vote on her confirmation.

Margaret Guzman currently serves as a Massachusetts State district court judge. She is a Massachusetts native and a graduate of Clark University in Worcester and the Boston University School of Law.

In addition to Judge Guzman's more than 20 years of service on the Massachusetts State judiciary, her three-decade career in the law includes work as a solo practitioner handling civil cases and a public defender representing indigent criminal offenders. Judge Guzman will therefore bring to the Federal bench not only the knowledge and experience of a State court judge who has presided over more than 1,000 cases in her career that have gone to verdict or judgment but the wisdom of a public defender and solo practitioner, joining together precisely the kind of professional legal diversity that the Biden administration has made a priority and that the Federal judiciary badly needs.

But there is more to Margaret Guzman than this impressive legal resume. Her personal story has also shaped her and her outlook from the bench. In 1999, during a challenging time for her family, she became the guardian and custodian to six of her nieces and nephews, then age 3 to 15. During this time, she also took on a caretaker role for her ailing mother. These daunting personal experiences helped Judge Guzman understand and appreciate the difficulties that so many people-- especially those who are involved in the criminal justice system--face in their day-to-day lives.

Her lived experience has led her to always show compassion and understanding to her own clients as a practicing attorney and to the litigants who appear before her as a judge and to ensure that those who must navigate our judicial system--especially the indigent and marginalized--are always treated fairly and with dignity and respect.

Finally, Judge Guzman will be a trailblazer. When confirmed, she will be the first Latina to serve on the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts--a long overdue milestone in a State that has nearly 1 million Latinos who call Massachusetts their home. Out of our 7 million residents, 1 million are Latino.

Senator Warren and I are proud to recommend Judge Guzman as a nominee to President Biden and proud to have that nomination before the whole Senate today. Judge Guzman leaves me with no doubt that she will serve the people of Massachusetts with distinction as a Federal district court judge. I urge all of my colleagues to vote yes on her confirmation today.

Senator Warren and I give you our assurances that she will be a superior district court judge representing our entire country.

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