Social Security Fairness Act of 2023
Floor Speech
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Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, we just passed our 235th judge. It is historic. It sets a record. In a few moments, I will be speaking about that. But first, let us finish our housekeeping and other business, so we can finish the business for the Senate for this year. Cloture Motion
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Mr. SCHUMER. I ask to dispense with further reading of the amendment.
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Mr. SCHUMER. I ask to dispense with further reading of the amendment.
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Mr. SCHUMER. I move to commit H.R. 82 to the Committee on Finance with instructions to report back forthwith with an amendment.
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Mr. SCHUMER. I ask to dispense with further reading.
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Mr. SCHUMER. I ask to dispense with further reading of the amendment.
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Mr. SCHUMER. I ask to dispense with further reading of the amendment.
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Mr. SCHUMER. Now, Mr. President, as you well know, a few minutes ago the Senate confirmed Judge Murillo to serve as a California District Judge. She is the 235th judge confirmed by this majority.
The majority has now confirmed more judges under President Biden than any majority has confirmed in decades. This is historic. We have confirmed more judges than under the Trump administration, more judges than any administration in this century, more judges than any administration going back decades. One out of every four active judges on the bench has been appointed by this majority. Let me repeat that. One out of every four active judges on the bench has been appointed by this majority.
Together, these individuals are arguably the most qualified and historic nominees ever confirmed in a 4-year span.
I want to thank all Senators--Democrat and Republican--who supported these nominees. Both parties cooperating on many of these judges shows why the advice and consent process is critical to this body and to our democracy.
Two hundred thirty-five judges--that is 235 qualified and experienced mainstream judges. They are former consumer protection lawyers, labor lawyers, voting rights experts, civil rights lawyers, Federal prosecutors, public defenders, teachers, mentors, scholars, great Americans from every walk of life and legal practice.
I am very proud of this milestone, not because of the number alone but because of what the number means. It means our bench is now far more balanced in its experiences, expertise, and qualifications than 4 years ago.
For a very long time, the norm was to prioritize judicial nominees who came from a privileged pool. Most of them were prosecutors or from large corporate law firms. Most were male. Most were White.
But when Senate Democrats entered the majority, we cast a wider net. We turned to new individuals who would make excellent and uniquely qualified judges. For example, we confirmed nominees who represented union workers and had firsthand experience in union negotiations. We confirmed nominees who fought healthcare fraud in court and represented the public in cases of deceptive marketing tactics.
Our nominees have defended the right to vote. They have defended freedom of choice. They have represented victims of abuse. They have put criminal and drug traffickers behind bars. They have been teachers. They have been mentors.
Our nominees are also groundbreaking for their demographic diversity. One hundred fifty of these judges are women, the most under any President.
We confirmed the first Black woman to the highest Court in all the land, Ketanji Brown Jackson. She is also the first public defender to ever hold the title ``Justice.''
We confirmed the most Black judges, Hispanic judges, and AAPI judges and Native American judges under any President's full time in office.
All of these historic judges were confirmed because they were exceptionally qualified for the job.
Our courts, like all our institutions, are better off when they mirror this vibrant country.
There are a lot of people to thank. I want to thank, at the top of the list, you, Mr. President--Chairman Durbin--for your diligence and hard work. I want to thank Ranking Member Graham and the members of the Judiciary Committee--some of whom are here--for their great work. You recommended excellent individuals to the bench.
I want to thank, of course, President Biden for sending us such an impressive group of well-qualified and historic nominees. And I want to thank Vice President Harris, who came here when the vote was tied and helped us confirm a number of these nominees.
And thank you to our Republican colleagues, who recommended good nominees and supported many of ours as well.
Finally, I want to thank my great staff, especially my incredible nominations director, Catalina Tam. It wouldn't have happened without her diligent and hard work. A lot of behind-the-scenes work happened to get them confirmed, and so I am immensely grateful to everyone who worked tirelessly day in and day out.
Thanks to the hard work of the Senate majority, our courts are stronger, our country is strong, our democracy is stronger. And that is something every American can be proud of.
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