Cory Booker: “today I wish to support the nomination of John Michael Vazquez, whom the President nominated for a lifetime appointment…”

“today I wish to support the nomination of John Michael Vazquez, whom the President nominated for a lifetime appointment as a United States district judge for the district of New Jersey. I thank Majority Leader McConnell and Minority Leader Reid for giving Mr. Vazquez a vote on the Senate floor. I appreciate Chairman Grassley and Ranking Member Leahy and their respective staffs for all their hard work on moving this well-qualified judicial nominee through the Judiciary Committee. I also want to thank Senator Menendez, New Jersey's senior Senator, for his hard work on this judicial appointment. The district of New Jersey currently has four judicial vacancies, all of which are judicial emergencies. This means that a very heavy caseload exists in that judicial district which, if left unremedied, undermines the quality and pace of access to justice for the people of New Jersey. According to the Administrative Office of the Courts, each judgeship in the district of New Jersey has over 650 weighted filings. That is unacceptable. Senator Menendez and I are committed to breaking the logjam and ensuring New Jerseyans gain more access to justice. Mr. Vazquez is a well-qualified nominee. He has worked in both public service and private practice and has experience in both criminal and civil cases. His time in public service includes stints as a Federal prosecutor in the U.S.…”