Political Quotes

“I come to the floor today to speak in support of the confirmation of Julie Rikelman to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. In just a few minutes, the Senate will vote to invoke cloture on Julie Rikelman's nomination, and, soon after, we will vote on her confirmation. Julie Rikelman has a distinctively American story. In 1979, her family emigrated to the United States from the Soviet Union--Ukraine, to be specific--settling in Massachusetts. Like so many Soviet immigrants in the 1970s, her family sought freedom, and especially, as Soviet Jews, they sought religious freedom. As a child, Ms. Rikelman and her family left behind the only home they knew. They endured the challenges of beginning anew in an unfamiliar country, as refugees, mastering a new language and a new culture. They embraced their new home and became naturalized U.S. citizens. Ms. Rikelman's experience as a Soviet political refugee shaped her lifelong commitment to the American legal system as well as her commitment to true ``justice for all'' and to the fundamental principles of the rule of law. With 25 years of experience, her legal career has been nothing short of stellar. Julie attended Harvard College and Harvard Law School. She clerked for Justice Dana Fabe on the Alaska Supreme Court and for Judge Morton Greenberg on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.…”