On the recordNovember 1, 2017
Mr. President, I would like to address the issue we are voting on in a few minutes. The Senate will vote on the nomination of Michigan Supreme Court Justice Joan Larsen to serve on the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. Though she currently lives in Michigan, Justice Larsen was born in and hails from my State of Iowa. In fact, she and I share the same alma mater, the University of Northern Iowa, for our bachelor's degrees. I have also learned, since meeting Justice Larsen, that her father was the longtime CEO of the Lutheran Services in Iowa. He is now retired, but during the time he was the CEO, he was the very same person with whom I often met for breakfast when he would come to Washington to tell us about the concerns of the Lutheran Services in Iowa. At that time, I never knew I might be speaking in favor of his daughter. I didn't even know of his daughter at that time. So I am proud to see a fellow Iowan and such an eminently qualified nominee be nominated to the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. For those who may not be familiar with her career and accomplishments, a few minutes will give me an opportunity to share them with you. I think you will find, as I have, that Justice Larsen is particularly well suited to serve as a Federal appellate judge. Justice Larsen has an outstanding academic record, having received numerous awards during her undergraduate and law school careers.…





