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Floor Speech

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Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. President, it is really so unfortunate and really quite sad that I have to come to the floor today and speak because, today, the Senate Democrat leadership is moving forward with a vote that undermines the longstanding bipartisan traditions that this institution relies upon to serve the American people and, indeed, for each of us to be able to serve the citizens of our State.

In just a few moments, the Democrat leadership is going to move forward with a cloture vote on a judicial nominee, Kevin Ritz, whose home State Senators, which are Senator Hagerty and me, were not properly consulted by the White House during his nomination process.

The consultation process between home State Senators and the White House on judicial nominees is essential to ensuring that a nominee is well suited to serve on the Federal bench. It is a part of our duty to provide advice and consent.

Of course, Senator Hagerty and I attempted to work in good faith with the Biden-Harris administration to identify highly qualified nominees to fill the vacancy--the Tennessee vacancy--on the Sixth Circuit. We presented well-qualified nominees.

Yet, contrary to bipartisan precedent, the White House barely even worked with us. Apparently, what became quite evident was this White House--the Biden-Harris administration--preferred backroom deals to open deliberation.

This administration prefers a backroom deal to hearing the voice of the people from a State. This administration prefers backroom deals as opposed to considering nominees who have chosen to step forward and go through a nomination process with full transparency.

To be sure, this vote is all the more shameful because Mr. Ritz is deeply unsuited to serve on the Federal bench. That is not just something that I say; these are comments that have come to us from dozens--dozens--of Tennesseans.

In our country, every individual accused of a crime is entitled to due process of law. That is a bedrock principle of our justice system. Yet, as a Federal prosecutor and U.S. attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, Mr. Ritz has repeatedly flouted basic professional ethics.

Mr. Ritz, for example, has been accused of using highly unethical bait-and-switch tactics to trick indigent criminal defendants into accepting plea deals that they didn't agree to. And when defense attorneys pushed back on him, Mr. Ritz has been accused of making outright false statements to the court to cover up his misdeeds.

Indeed, Mr. Ritz has chosen to surround himself with those who seemingly treat their ethical obligations with disdain. Mr. Ritz's deputy, for example, received a 1-year probation for prosecutorial misconduct.

To be clear, Mr. Ritz's record of unethical conduct is not my only objection to his nomination. There are Tennesseans who, for these same reasons, have come to us to object to his nomination.

Now, under his watch, as the chief Federal law enforcement officer, the city of Memphis has tragically become one of the most dangerous places to live in the United States.

In 2023, Memphis had the most homicides in its history and continues to lead the Nation in homicide rates this year. Now, there is a reason for this, and I think it is a reason that this Chamber needs to hear.

And it is not a reason that is supposition. It is a reason that is grounded in statistics and fact. And it is a reason that citizens in Tennessee, in Shelby County, in the Western District have raised to us, because they are concerned about crime; they are concerned about what is happening in their communities; they are concerned about juvenile crime and the rates that are there.

Now, here is their reason, and this is instructive to the Chamber as we consider this vote. As I said, Memphis has become one of the most dangerous places to live in the United States of America. In 2023, Memphis had the most homicides in its history and continues to lead the Nation in homicide rates this year.

And here comes your reason: Under Mr. Ritz's predecessor, the U.S. attorney's office in Memphis had a policy of charging 100 percent of prosecutable gun crimes. They charged them all. Yet, under his watch, Mr. Ritz has failed to uphold that prosecutorial standard which helped keep Memphians safe and helped keep dangerous people locked up behind bars.

And here is an example for you: Mr. Ritz's office failed to charge an individual with unlawful possession of a firearm, so this guy gets out and he goes on and he murders a Memphis police officer.

So when we hear about violent crime and the people we represent and we love are saying ``do something about violent crime,'' they want these criminals locked up.

But if you are not going to charge them with prosecutable gun crimes, they are not going to be locked up, and they are going to do like this criminal in Memphis and they are going to go out and they are going to murder.

And the unfortunate thing is, in Memphis, they murdered a Memphis police officer. No one deserves a promotion--especially to one of the highest courts in the country--a lifetime appointment with a track record like Mr. Ritz.

Just because the White House wants to ignore this fact doesn't mean that the Senate should ignore this fact. Listen to the voices of Tennesseans who have reached out to us and who have said to us: He does not deserve this seat.

I would urge all of my colleagues to oppose this reckless, unqualified nominee.

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