Majority Leader Schumer Floor Remarks On The Senate Vote To Confirm Judge Doris Pryor As U.S. Circuit Judge For The Seventh Circuit
Washington, D.C. – Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor prior to a vote to confirm Judge Doris Pryor as U.S. Circuit Judge for the Seventh Circuit. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks, which can also be viewed here:
The Senate is just a few confirmation votes away from reaching another milestone: soon, we will confirm our 90th federal judge under President Biden. I want to thank my colleague, Chair of the Judiciary Committee, Senator Durbin, for his diligence and hard work in this area of getting nominees appointed to the bench.
We vote today on judge number eighty-eight: Doris Pryor, tapped by the President to serve as U.S. Circuit Judge for the Seventh Circuit. She’ll be the twenty sixth—the twenty-sixth—circuit court judge the Senate confirms in the last two years. These appointments are critical: even though a conservative majority presides on the Supreme Court, the bulk of all federal cases are still resolved by circuit court judges.
If confirmed, Judge Pryor will make history as the first woman of color from Indiana ever to sit on the Seventh Circuit. One judge at a time, the Senate continues fulfilling its mission of making sure our courts reflect the diversity and dynamism of America.
A graduate of University of Central Arkansas and Indiana School of Law, Judge Pryor served as a clerk for both the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals and for the Eastern District of Arkansas, before turning to public defense.
She has also more than a decade of experience as a federal prosecutor, focusing on national security and prosecuting individuals who sought aid to terrorist organizations. When not involved in donning black robes of a jurist, Judge Pryor is deeply involved in the Indianapolis community, founding youth programs, mentoring future lawyers, and helping the formerly incarcerated to re-enter civilian life.
In short, Judge Pryor has the brains of a jurist and the heart of a public servant—a perfect combination for someone serving a lifetime appointment on the bench. I look forward to her confirmation today, and Democrats will continue making judicial confirmations a top priority in the New Year.
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