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Floor Speech

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Mr. PADILLA. Mr. President, colleagues, today we will have the opportunity to advance the nomination of Kirk Sherriff, President Biden's nominee to serve on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California. In doing so, we have a chance to confirm a well-qualified nominee and public servant to fill a vacancy on one of the busiest and most understaffed district courts in the Federal judiciary.

I rise to share a little bit more about what makes him so qualified to serve the Eastern District. Mr. Sherriff actually grew up in the Sacramento region within the district. He was raised for several periods of time by a single mother who worked hard to support her family, an experience he says profoundly shaped his appreciation for the opportunities made available in the United States of America.

Mr. Sherriff went on to earn his undergraduate degree from Columbia University and his law degree from Harvard Law School.

He began his legal career working as an associate of White & Case, focused on arbitration and civil litigation.

He also clerked on the New Jersey Supreme Court for Chief Justice Deborah Poritz. But before long, he returned to California--he came home--to work in the district that would come to define his career.

Mr. Sherriff joined the civil division of the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of California. He spent 5 years litigating forest fire, civil fraud, and tort cases before moving on to the criminal division.

He worked his way up to serve as chief of the Fresno and Bakersfield offices of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District where he oversaw four Fresno unit chiefs, 20 attorneys, and the prosecution of crimes throughout the southern half of the district.

Now, in the course of his career, Mr. Sherriff has developed a reputation in the Fresno legal community for being fair, for being sharp, and incredibly hard-working--all characteristics in high demand at a court with an extraordinarily heavy caseload.

But in addition to that, Mr. Sherriff possesses a deep personal understanding of the needs of the many racially diverse and historically disadvantaged communities throughout the Central Valley. Because, for the last two decades, he has been there, serving the Eastern District and engaging in community outreach.

Colleagues, by confirming Mr. Sherriff's nomination, we will be confirming a nominee with a wealth of legal experience, with a fundamental understanding and respect for human dignity, and with deep roots in the community he serves and will continue to serve, and who will be filling a vacancy in one of the busiest courts in the country.

I urge all of my colleagues to join me in advancing and supporting Mr. Sherriff's confirmation.

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