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Floor Speech

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Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, today, the Senate will vote to confirm Keli Marie Neary to the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. She is an accomplished litigator who has devoted her entire legal career to public service in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

After receiving her undergraduate degree from the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown and her law degree from Widener University Commonwealth Law School, Ms. Neary clerked on the 41st Judicial District of Pennsylvania for Perry and Juniata Counties.

Following her clerkship, Ms. Neary served as an assistant counsel in the Governor's Office of General Counsel, assigned to the Pennsylvania State Police's Office of Chief Counsel. She specialized in enforcement of the Gaming Act, personnel litigation, contract interpretation, and firearms-related due process hearings.

Since 2012, Ms. Neary has worked at the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General (OAG), currently serving as the executive deputy attorney general for the civil law division. At the OAG, she represents and defends a broad array of different government agencies, officials, and employees in matters before State and Federal courts and defends constitutional challenges to Pennsylvania statutes and regulations.

Over the course of her career, Ms. Neary has tried 13 cases to verdict. She has also participated in the briefing of hundreds of trial and appellate matters in State and Federal courts and argued numerous motions and injunctions.

Ms. Neary has the strong support of her home State Senators, Mr. Casey and Mr. Fetterman. In addition, she was unanimously rated ``qualified'' by the American Bar Association.

I urge my colleagues to support Ms. Neary's nomination.

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