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Floor Speech

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Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, today, the Senate will vote to confirm Kevin Ritz to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.

Mr. Ritz grew up in Memphis and received his B.A., Phi Beta Kappa, from the University of Virginia, his M.S. from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, and his J.D from the University of Virginia School of Law. After law school, he served as a law clerk to Judge Julia Smith Gibbons on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in Memphis.

Mr. Ritz then went to work as an assistant U.S. attorney in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Tennessee in Memphis, serving as criminal appellate chief, special counsel to the U.S. attorney, and appellate chief. Mr. Ritz has tried 11 cases to verdict, including 10 jury trials. While serving as appellate chief, he personally wrote more than 200 briefs and argued 37 Federal appeals.

Since September 2022, Mr. Ritz has served as the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee. The Senate confirmed him to that role by voice vote. Notably, both of his home State Senators--Mrs. Blackburn and Mr. Hagerty--returned positive blue slips on his U.S. attorney nomination. In his role as U.S. attorney, Mr. Ritz serves as the chief Federal law enforcement officer for the district and oversees an office of attorneys who engage in defensive and affirmative civil work, appellate work, and criminal work.

The American Bar Association unanimously rated Mr. Ritz as ``well qualified'' to serve on the bench. He has deep ties to Tennessee, and his significant litigation background and extensive experience in Federal court will serve him well on the Sixth Circuit.

Mr. Ritz has dedicated his entire legal career to public service. I look forward to his continued service as a circuit judge, and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting his nomination.

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