Executive Session

Floor Speech

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Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I rise to speak in support of the nomination of Justice Barbara Keenan to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.

In the summer of 2009, my colleague and friend, Senator Webb, and I had the honor of interviewing a number of potential candidates to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. We were enormously impressed by the quality of all the candidates being considered. But one candidate rose to the top of the list because of her extensive experience, her judicial temperament, and her commitment to the law.

That candidate was Justice Barbara Keenan.

President Obama nominated Justice Keenan last September, and in late October the members of the Senate Judiciary Committee reported her nomination by unanimous consent.

Justice Keenan's nomination has been on the Senate Calendar for 4 months now. I believe it is time for this Chamber to consider the nomination and give Justice Keenan an up-or-down vote.

Justice Keenan has served with distinction at every level of State court in Virginia. She has served as a justice on the Virginia Supreme Court since 1991. She also served on the Fairfax County General District Court, the Circuit Court of Fairfax County, and the Court of Appeals of Virginia. Every one of Virginia's bars, including the State bar and the State Bar Judicial Nominations Committee, have all recognized Justice Keenan and recommended her with their highest approval rating--either ``highly qualified'' or ``highly recommended.''

I might also mention in passing that Justice Keenan was the first woman appointed to the bench in Virginia and was one of the original 10 appointees to the Virginia Court of Appeals during its creation in 1985. Lest any of my colleagues on either side of the aisle think this falls on the partisan divide that so often I think stymies this body, Justice Keenan not only has the support of Senator Webb and myself, but she has the support of our new Republican Governor, Governor McDonnell. Justice Keenan actually administered the oath of office to Governor McDonnell just 6 weeks ago.

I am a new Member of this body, and perhaps I sometimes don't always understand the rules and process. However, it does seem strange to me that a justice who is as highly regarded and recommended as Justice Keenan--someone whom the President nominated months and months ago and someone who has received unanimous support in the Senate Judiciary Committee and someone who has the support not only of both Senators from Virginia but our Republican Governor--has had to wait so long to get a vote.

So I am hopeful the Senate will act on this nomination. I look forward to casting my vote in support of Justice Barbara Keenan's nomination, and I encourage my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to vote for cloture so we can move to that very important vote and fill one more of these vacancies on a very important court in the Fourth Circuit.

Mr. President, I thank you for the time. I yield the floor, and I note the absence of a quorum.

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