Al Franken: “Thank you, Mr. President. I thank the senior Senator from Minnesota for her remarks about Wilhelmina Wright. I join her…”

“Thank you, Mr. President. I thank the senior Senator from Minnesota for her remarks about Wilhelmina Wright. I join her in rising not just in strong support but enthusiastic support for Justice Wilhelmina Wright's nomination to serve on the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota. We call her Justice Wright because she is on the Minnesota Supreme Court. She has been an excellent consensus nominee. I would like to thank Chairman Grassley and Ranking Member Leahy for working to ensure that the Judiciary Committee reported out her nomination favorably. I would also like to thank Leader McConnell for scheduling this afternoon's vote. As of today, Justice Wright's nomination has been pending for 279 days--more than 9 months. The seat she has been nominated to fill has been declared a judicial emergency. So I am pleased the Senate is moving to confirm Justice Wright and that Minnesotans seeking justice will soon be able to have their day in court. Justice Wright is, without question, the best candidate for this position. Not only did she earn a stellar reputation as a Federal prosecutor in Minnesota, but Justice Wright is the only person in our State's history to serve as a judge at all three levels of Minnesota's judiciary.…”