Mr. COHEN. Madam Speaker, yesterday the United States Senate approved the nomination of President Obama, upon my recommendation, of John T. Fowlkes, Jr. to be the new Federal District Court Judge in the Western District of Tennessee. It was a moment of bipartisanship, where Senators McConnell and REID worked to get the nomination up, and my Republican Senators, CORKER and ALEXANDER, sponsored and supported that nomination.

Judge Fowlkes is an outstanding jurist and was an astounding attorney. He was a public defender, a State prosecutor, a Federal prosecutor, a chief administrative officer for our county government, and a current criminal court judge.

I empanelled a group of lawyers--bipartisan, just about every representation you can imagine--to advise me on the person to recommend. Everybody felt John Fowlkes had the temperament and disposition, judicial experience, and was the right person for the job.

I was proud to recommend him. I'm pleased the President nominated him. I'm thankful the Senate acted in a bipartisan way so we can work down our caseload. We need more judges, and the Senate needs to approve more.