Durbin Delivers Opening Statement During Judiciary Committee Hearing on Five Nominations

Floor Speech

"First, I'd like to note that Mr. Federico and Judge Kolar both currently serve in the U.S. Armed Forces as reservists following previous active duty service. We thank them for that.

Second, each of today's judicial nominees has received blue slips from both of their home state Senators. This includes Mr. Federico, who has received blue slips from Senator Moran and Senator Marshall of Kansas. And this also includes Judge Kolar, who has received blue slips from Senator Young and Senator Braun of Indiana. I would like to thank the Kansas and Indiana Senators for continuing to work with the White House in good faith to fill judicial vacancies in their states on a bipartisan basis.

There has been a lot of criticism of the blue slip process and it has been abused in the past, but these Senators, and the White House counsel's office, have shown, once again, that this process can work… and can result in outstanding nominees with broad bipartisan support.

I am encouraged that several of my Republican colleagues and the White House have worked in good faith to swiftly identify and advance highly qualified nominees."

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