Floor Statements

Mr. President, the majority leader reminds us of the tragedy that occurred in Buffalo over the weekend and how the shooter was somehow captivated by the notion of replacement theory--a theory which is so insane and so mean-spirited that it ignores what this country is all about.

A few minutes ago, over at what they call the House swamp, we held a press conference. Senator Alex Padilla of California, myself, Congresswoman Ross, and Congressman Bera met with a group of young people. There were about 50 of them. Some were high school age; some were in college. They are the sons and daughters of people who came to the United States on H-1B visas. These are visas where people are allowed to come here for a period of years and work, and the visas can be renewed.

Children and families who accompany them are growing up in America, living in America, while the breadwinner goes off to work each day, but the clock is ticking. When the kids of these visa holders reach the age of 21, they are subject to self-deportation. In other words, they have no legal rights in America to remain.

The reason that they are in suspense for so long is that the green card backlog can be decades while the parents are waiting for permission to become legal in the United States on a permanent basis. So these young people live in uncertainty.

Senator Padilla's bill is an effort--and I join with him in that bill--an effort to give them the opportunity to earn their way to citizenship, to become legal in America. Why would we give up this talent? These young people have grown up in America. They have

been successful in school. They have participated in community activities. They are ready to be part of America's future, I can tell.

One young woman got up there and told the story of how she came to California with her parents under similar circumstances. She now is completing her Ph.D. in biochemistry at Cornell University. She wants to go into cancer research. Is America better if we force her to leave this country at this point? She doesn't think so. She thinks she can make this a better nation and better world if she can stay in America.

The folks who are so dead set against immigration ought to just pause for a moment and meet the people we are talking about, the people who are coming into this country, taking the jobs which Americans don't want to take, doing things which Americans aspire to but don't achieve, and many other aspects of our life that are really enriched by their presence.

So I would urge my colleagues to support us in this bipartisan effort for this bill. But I would also urge them to step back and make it clear, the ``replacement theory'' is an insane approach to America. It ignores our history; it ignores our future; and it ignores the reality of our economy today.

Mr. President, this week, the Senate will consider three outstanding nominees to the Federal district courts.

All three nominees are eminently qualified for the Federal bench and have the character and judicial temperament to serve with distinction. The nominees likewise represent important progress in ensuring that the Federal judiciary reflects the nation it serves.

First is Jennifer Rochon, who has been nominated to serve on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Today, Ms. Rochon serves as the first general counsel of the Girl Scouts of the United States of America, a role she first assumed in 2013. She provides guidance, strategic insight, and legal counsel on a wide range of issues, and she also advises the Girl Scouts' board of directors on their fiduciary duties.

Prior to joining the organization, Ms. Rochon was a partner at Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP and a general commercial litigator, experience that will serve her well on the district court. Notably, she was also elected by Kramer Levin's partnership to be the first woman to serve on the firm's executive committee.

Over the course of her career, Ms. Rochon has advocated for gender equality and the advancement of women in the legal profession. She is yet another example of President Biden's commitment to a professionally diverse, exceptionally qualified judiciary, and I know she will serve the Southern District of New York well.

Ms. Rochon has the strong support of her home State Senators, Mr. Schumer and Mrs. Gillibrand, and she was unanimously rated ``Well Qualified'' by the American Bar Association.

Given the depth of her experience and her demonstrated prowess in the law, I am proud to support Ms. Rochon's nomination, and I encourage my colleagues to do the same.

Our next nominee is Judge Trina Thompson. With 14 years as a trial litigator and over 21 years of service to the Alameda County Superior Court, Judge Thompson is unquestionably qualified to serve as a Federal district court judge.

She began her legal career as an assistant public defender at the Alameda County Public Defender's Office, where she tried over 35 cases as sole counsel over the course of 4 years. She then spent 10 years as a criminal defense solo practitioner, trying over 30 additional cases as sole counsel and another eight cases as cocounsel.

Back in 2000, the Alameda County Superior Court Judges appointed Judge Thompson to serve as a juvenile court commissioner on the Dependency and Delinquency Court. Just 2 years later, she was elected as an Alameda County Superior Court Judge, a role she continues to hold to this day.

Throughout her 22 years of judicial service, Judge Thompson has presided over 150 criminal jury trials, thousands of hearings, and hundreds of criminal and civil bench trials.

With her incredible depth of trial experience on and off the bench, it is no surprise that this Bay Area native, who earned both her A.B. and her J.D. from the University of California at Berkeley, has the strong support of her home State Senators, Mrs. Feinstein and Mr. Padilla.

It is also no wonder that the American Bar Association unanimously rated Judge Thompson as ``Well Qualified.''

The decades of trial litigation and judicial experience that Judge Thomas has accumulated will be an immense asset to the Northern District of California, which has a number of vacancies that urgently need to be filled by qualified judges.

I strongly urge my colleagues to join me in supporting her confirmation.

Finally, the Senate will vote on Judge Sunshine Sykes, who has been nominated to serve on the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

Judge Sykes is an experienced litigator and jurist with a long record of unbiased decision-making. She attended Stanford University and Stanford Law School before beginning her legal career with a focus on civil litigation and juvenile dependency cases. She served as a staff attorney for California Indian Legal Services; worked for the juvenile defense panel in Murrieta, CA; and served as a deputy county counsel in Riverside County.

In 2013, Sykes was appointed to serve as a California Superior Court judge. As a member of the Navajo Nation, she was the first Native American individual to sit on the Riverside Superior Court. During her time as a Superior Court judge, she has presided over more than 90 cases that have gone to verdict or judgment and over thousands of additional hearings.

Judge Sykes has the strong support of Senator Feinstein and Senator Padilla, and she was unanimously rated ``Well Qualified'' by the American Bar Association. If confirmed, she will be the first Native American article III judge to serve in California.

Her record on the bench is deeply impressive, and she will continue to administer justice in a thoughtful, evenhanded manner as a district court judge. I will vote to confirm her to the Central District of California. I hope my colleagues join me in doing the same.

I announce that the Senator from Nevada (Ms. Rosen) and the Senator from Maryland (Mr. Van Hollen) are necessarily absent.

I announce that the Senator from Nevada (Ms. Rosen) and the Senator from Maryland (Mr. Van Hollen) are necessarily absent.

I announce that the Senator from Nevada (Ms. Rosen) and the Senator from Maryland (Mr. Van Hollen) are necessarily absent.

I announce that the Senator from Massachusetts (Mr. Markey), the Senator from Nevada (Ms. Rosen), and the Senator from Maryland (Mr. Van Hollen) are necessarily absent.

I announce that the Senator from New Jersey (Mr. Menendez), the Senator from Nevada (Ms. Rosen), and the Senator from Maryland (Mr. Van Hollen) are necessarily absent.

I announce that the Senator from Nevada (Ms. Rosen) and the Senator from Maryland (Mr. Van Hollen) are necessarily absent.

I announce that the Senator from Nevada (Ms. Rosen) and the Senator from Maryland (Mr. Van Hollen) are necessarily absent.

I announce that the Senator from Nevada (Ms. Rosen) and the Senator from Maryland (Mr. Van Hollen) are necessarily absent.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

I announce that the Senator from Maryland (Mr. Van Hollen) is necessarily absent.

I announce that the Senator from Nevada (Mr. Rosen) and the Senator from Maryland (Ms. Van Hollen) are necessarily absent.

I announce that the Senator from Nevada (Ms. Rosen) and the Senator from Maryland (Mr. Van Hollen) are necessarily absent.