HOUSE VOTES
ETHNIC HAIRSTYLES: The House has passed the Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair Act (H.R. 2116), sponsored by Rep. Bonnie Coleman Watson, D-N.J., to prohibit discrimination in the federal government based on a hair texture or hairstyle that is tied to ethnicity or race. Watson Coleman said: “There is no logical reason that anyone should be discriminated against on any level because of the texture of their hair or the style of their hair.” An opponent, Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, said the bill was unnecessary because “under current law, if a person’s hairstyle or hair texture is associated with a person’s race or national origin and is used as a pretext for discrimination, that conduct is unlawful.” The vote, on March 18, was 235 yeas to 189 nays.
YEAS: Chellie Pingree, D-1st District; Jared Golden, D-2nd District
SENATE VOTES
CALIFORNIA JUDGE: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Ruth Bermudez Montenegro to serve as a judge on the U.S. district court for the southern district of California. Montenegro was an attorney at a California school district before, in 2014, becoming a California state judge and then, in 2018, becoming a magistrate judge in the southern district. The vote, on March 22, was 55 yeas to 41 nays.
YEAS: Susan Collins, R-Maine; Angus King, I-Maine
GEORGIA JUDGE: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Victoria Calvert to serve as a judge on the U.S. district court for the northern district of Georgia. Calvert has been a public defender for the federal government, based in Atlanta, since 2012. A supporter, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., called Calvert “a highly experienced litigator with a proven commitment to ensuring equal justice for all.” The vote, on March 22, was 50 yeas to 46 nays.
YEAS: Collins, King
MARYLAND JUDGE: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Julie Rubin to serve as a judge on the U.S. district court for Maryland. Rubin, a private practice lawyer in Baltimore from 2000 to 2013, then became a judge in Baltimore’s circuit court. A supporter, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., cited Rubin’s “wealth of trial experience on and off the bench.” The vote, on March 23, was 51 yeas to 46 nays.
YEAS: Collins, King
NEW YORK JUDGE: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Hector Gonzalez to serve as a judge on the U.S. district court for the eastern district of New York. Gonzalez has been a private practice lawyer in New York City since 1999. A supporter, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said: “In addition to the criminal law expertise he developed as a prosecutor, Mr. Gonzalez has also gained considerable civil litigation experience, managing complex litigation matters involving bankruptcy, antitrust, and professional liability.” The vote, on March 23, was 52 yeas to 45 nays.
YEAS: Collins, King
WASHINGTON JUDGE: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of John Chun to serve as a judge on the U.S. district court for the western district of Washington. Chun, a judge on the Washington state appeals court since 2018, was previously a county court judge and a private practice lawyer in Seattle. A supporter, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said Chun’s “demonstrable commitment to justice and the rule of law will serve him well as a district court judge.” The vote, on March 23, was 49 yeas to 47 nays.
YEAS: Collins, King
NEVADA JUDGE: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Cristina D. Silva to serve as a judge on the U.S. district court for Nevada. Silva became a Nevada district court judge in 2019; prior to that, she was a federal prosecutor in Nevada starting in 2010. The vote, on March 23, was 50 yeas to 46 nays.
YEAS: Collins, King
SECOND NEVADA JUDGE: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Anne Rachel Traum to serve as a judge on the U.S. district court for Nevada. Traum has been a law professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas since 2014, and previously was a federal government lawyer in Nevada. The vote, on March 23, was 49 yeas to 47 nays.
YEAS: Collins, King
APPEALS COURT JUDGE: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Alison Nathan to serve as a judge on the U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals. Nathan has been a judge on the U.S. southern district of New York court since 2011. A supporter, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said: “She has proven, without a doubt, that she understands the difference between a policy advocate and a judge, and I am certain that she will continue to administer justice in a thoughtful, evenhanded manner.” The vote, on March 23, was 49 yeas to 47 nays.
YEAS: Collins, King
MINNESOTA U.S. ATTORNEY: The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Andrew Luger to be the U.S. attorney for Minnesota. Luger had served in the same role from 2014 to 2017; otherwise, he has been a law firm partner in Minneapolis since 1996. The vote, on March 24, was 60 yeas to 36 nays.
YEAS: Collins, King
Comments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
