Executive Session

Floor Speech

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Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, today we turn to the nomination of Margo Brodie to be U.S. District judge for the Eastern District of New York. This will be the 69th judicial nominee of President Obama which the Senate has confirmed during this Congress. Overall, more than 70 percent of President Obama's judicial nominees have been confirmed.

We continue, on the Senate floor and in the Judiciary Committee, to work together to reduce the number of judicial vacancies. We have held 21 nominations hearings during this Congress, with 80 judicial nominees appearing at those hearings. All in all, over 85 percent of President Obama's judicial nominees have received a hearing. We will hear from additional judicial nominees later this week.

So even as we continue to hear concerns about the judicial vacancy rate and claims of obstructionism, I would note we are making progress as we continue to confirm judicial nominees. But let me emphasize again that for more than half of the vacancies, including those designated as ``judicial emergencies,'' the President has failed to submit a nomination. So critics need to look at the beginning of the process when commenting on vacancies.

I would like to say a little about our nominee today. Ms. Brodie earned a BA from St. Francis College in 1988, and her JD from the University of Pennsylvania School of Law in 1991. She began her legal career as an assistant corporation counsel for the City of New York in 1991. In this role, she defended city agencies and officials in the performance of their duty to manage municipal affairs.

In 1994, Ms. Brodie became an associate with Carter, Ledyard & Milburn, representing clients in various types of civil litigation.

Since 1999, Ms. Brodie has served as an assistant U.S. attorney with the Eastern District Court of New York. From May 2005 to March 2006, she served as a legal advisor to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offices Commission, ICPC, in Nigeria. From 2006 to 2009, she supervised new AUSAs in the General Crimes Section in roles as deputy chief and chief. In October 2009, she became the counselor to the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney's Office. In her current position as deputy chief of the Criminal Division, she supervises over 100 Criminal Division AUSAs in the areas of public corruption, civil rights, terrorism, organized crime, gang violence, narcotics trafficking, and business and securities fraud. She also advises the office on legal policy and management issues.

Ms. Brodie has received a majority: ``Qualified;'' minority: ``Well Qualified'' rating from the American Bar Association's Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary.

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