Majority Leader Schumer Floor Remarks On This Week’s Vote On President Biden’s Nomination Of Eunice Lee To The Second Circuit Court Of Appeals

Washington, D.C. –  Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor regarding this week’s votes on the nomination of Eunice Lee to serve on the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. Senator Schumer filed cloture on her nomination last night, setting up a cloture vote tomorrow. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks, which can also be viewed here:

One of our most important jobs here in the Senate is to confirm President Biden’s judicial appointments. The Democratic majority in the Senate is committed to swiftly and consistently filling judicial vacancies with highly qualified, ideologically mainstream, and professionally and demographically diverse jurists.

Later this week, the Senate will have the opportunity to confirm another judge who meets all three of these criteria.

Last night, I filed cloture on the nomination of Eunice Lee to serve on the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. Since the Second Circuit covers my home state of New York, and it’s one of the most important federal courts in the country, it was my honor to have recommended Ms. Lee to the White House for an appointment. She will be the fourth circuit court judge confirmed in the first 7 months of the Biden Administration.

Eunice Lee is a not only an excellent lawyer, with sound judgment and a jurist’s temperament, but she brings the kind of legal experience that is all too rare on the federal bench. Ms. Lee spent her entire career in public service, representing criminal defendants who could not afford counsel. Once confirmed, she’ll be the only former Federal Defender among the active judges on the Second Circuit.  When I met her, I saw what a caring, compassionate, thoughtful woman he was. And I was so glad, so glad, to recommend her to the White House who quickly agreed and has sent her name forward.

Perhaps the highest compliment paid to Ms. Lee came from a group of over 70 former federal prosecutors from New York — these are the folks who most often found themselves on the opposite side of Ms. Lee in a courtroom—who called her a “brilliant, accomplished advocate, who is supremely well qualified to serve on the bench.” She's a model. She's a model in diversity. 

You know, we don't have very many people of color on our Second Circuit Court of Appeals. I'm trying to increase that with the nomination of Ms. Lee, Ms. Perez as well. Not only is she from a diverse background demographically, but she is diverse professionally. To have someone who had been a federal defender up there on the Second Circuit will expand the breadth and width and depth of knowledge that that bench has. 

So I'm proud to have recommended her, and I’m looking forward to confirming this nominee later this week.

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