Executive Session

Floor Speech

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Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, the Senate is considering the nomination of O. Rogeriee Thompson to the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. I join my distinguished senior colleague, Senator JACK REED, in applauding President Obama's selection of this very talented nominee. Judge Thompson's nomination has been an uncontroversial one and for good reason: She is a dedicated public servant, a highly experienced and respected judge, and a credit to our home State of Rhode Island. I congratulate Judge Thompson on coming to this point in the process. I look forward to an uneventful confirmation vote in the next few moments.

I express to my colleagues my thorough confidence that she will have a distinguished career as a U.S. circuit court of appeals judge.

I also thank some of my colleagues. I am grateful to majority leader HARRY REID, to our chairman, PATRICK LEAHY, of the Judiciary Committee, and to Senators on the other side of the aisle, in particular Judiciary Committee Ranking Member SESSIONS, for clearing the path for us to vote on Judge Thompson's nomination today. I also am grateful that my senior Senator, JACK REED, gave me the opportunity to assist him in identifying the best possible nominee to recommend to President Obama to serve on the first circuit. As my colleagues know, it has been a great honor to serve with Senator Reed since coming to the Senate. This experience with him was another great privilege for which I am deeply grateful.

After the Senate's action today, after a lifetime of achievement, Judge Thompson will make history as the first African American and only the second woman to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. This will not be the first barrier broken by Judge Thompson, as she was the first African-American woman on each of the Rhode Island courts on which she has served. These were great moments in the history of our State. Her arrival will be a wonderful addition in the history of the first circuit. Judge Thompson has given our State 21 years of distinguished judicial service, first as an associate judge on the Rhode Island district court and subsequently as an associate justice on the Rhode Island superior court.

Judge Thompson has long scrupulously adhered to the proper role of a judge, respecting the role of the legislature as the voice of the people, deciding cases based on the law and the facts, not prejudging any case but listening to every party before her, respecting precedent and limiting herself to the issues properly before the court. Her courtroom deservedly has come to be known as a place in which every party can expect a fair hearing. I know she will earn the same reputation for fairness and excellence as a judge on the first circuit.

I should add that Judge Thompson has also made great contributions to our home State of Rhode Island outside of the courtroom. She has chaired or been a member of important court committees that have improved the quality of justice in our State. She has given back to her alma mater, Brown University, by serving as a trustee of that great university. She also has provided mentoring to innumerable students, given her time to countless law
school programs, and served on the boards of valuable and important nonprofit groups such as the Rhode Island Children's Crusade for Higher Education, a board on which I was privileged to serve with Judge Thompson. Her willingness to give back to our Rhode Island community is characteristic of her entire family. Judge Thompson's husband, Bill Clifton, is a judge on the Rhode Island district court. Her brother-in-law, Bill's brother, Edward Clifton, is a judge on the Rhode Island superior court. It is a very judicial family.

I had the occasion to appear before Judge Clifton. He was the first judge when we began our Rhode Island drug court, when I was attorney general. I have had firsthand experience of his qualities as well. We in Rhode Island are very fortunate to be blessed by the service and excellence of this family. I am sure this is a very proud day for them all. I extend my best wishes and my congratulations.

I anticipate we will have a strong vote in favor of Judge Thompson. She passed without incident or opposition through the review of the Judiciary Committee. There were no questions raised about her at her hearing. The voice vote in her favor was unanimous. The track record to date is an indication of a likely resounding confirmation. I might add, if that happens, that is yet another evidence of how talented she is and how well she deserves this seat on the Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. It is an important circuit for our State. It is a very distinguished court. It has had very distinguished Rhode Islanders sit on it in the past. A friend of Senator JACK REED's and mine, the honorable Bruce Selya, has served on that court with immense distinction for many years. So there is an important Rhode Island tradition on the first circuit.

I can assure all of my colleagues in the Senate that as a justice of this court, O. Rogeriee Thompson will discharge all of her duties with the greatest of distinction.

I yield the floor, suggest the absence of a quorum, and ask unanimous consent that the time be divided between the minority and majority.

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