Senate Confirming More Impressive Nominees to Federal Courts
‘Earlier this year, looking at clerkships and professional experience, one liberal commentator admitted that ‘the average Trump appointee has a far more impressive resume than any past president’s nominees.’
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding nominations:
“While our committees are working, the full Senate is keeping busy with one of our core constitutional responsibilities: continuing to confirm well-qualified men and women to lifetime appointments to the federal judiciary.
“Yesterday, we voted to advance the nomination of Kristi Haskins Johnson, the current Solicitor General of Mississippi with multiple impressive clerkships under her belt, to serve as a District Judge for the Southern District of Mississippi. She’ll make history as the first woman to join the bench in that district.
“This is just the first of several nominations we’ll consider this week. We’ll also vote today on Benjamin Beaton, a Kentuckian who has been nominated to be a District Judge for the Western District of Kentucky.
“This Paducah native is yet another outstanding choice by President Trump.
“Mr. Beaton received a first-rate education from Kentucky’s Centre College and then Columbia Law School, where he edited the law review. He clerked on the D.C. Circuit and on the Supreme Court for the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
“Since then, Mr. Beaton has excelled at some of the country’s top law firms. He’s also undertaken a substantial pro bono caseload and shown a dedication to community service.
“At each step, the nominee has demonstrated a firm commitment to the Constitution and the rule of law. The American Bar Association has confirmed what Kentuckians already knew: Mr. Beaton is well qualified to serve as a district judge.
“Last month, our colleagues on the Judiciary Committee advanced this brilliant nominee with no members voting in opposition. I urge all my colleagues to join me in voting to confirm him later today and our other impressive nominees this week.
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“Now, this week’s nominees are only the latest examples of the incredible qualifications that have characterized President Trump’s nominees.
“Take the metric that our Democratic colleagues have called the “gold standard,” the ratings of the left-leaning American Bar Association. As of a few months ago, across all the people that President Trump had nominated to the federal district courts, 68.8 percent had earned the ABA’s top rating of “well qualified.”
“If you look back over the last seven presidential administrations, only one -- Bush 43 -- has managed to post a higher average rating for judicial nominations. Even then, it was only higher by a hair.
“Even the Democrats’ own supposed “gold standard” destroys the talking point that President Trump’s nominees have been less than thoroughly qualified. It’s just not factual.
“Earlier this year, looking at clerkships and professional experience, one liberal commentator admitted that, quote, ‘the average Trump appointee has a far more impressive resume than any past president’s nominees.’
“Let me say that again. This is a left-leaning writer. Quote: ‘The average Trump appointee has a far more impressive resume than any past president’s nominees.’
“It’s pretty hard to argue that these haven’t been extraordinary additions to our federal courts.
“This has been a tremendous accomplishment. These are judges who will serve our nation honorably for generations to come.
“Our colleagues here in the Senate should be rightly proud to have confirmed them. And we’re going to continue doing just that.”
Related Issues: Judicial Nominations
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