On the recordApril 16, 2012
1 year ago last month our Nation lost an esteemed public servant and an outstanding human being, Judge M. Blane Michael, who served on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit for a number of years. With his passing, we were therefore left with a great void not only on the Federal judiciary but also in the hearts of his family and his many friends. So it is with a profound sense of obligation to the people of West Virginia and America that I set out to find a nominee to fill his vacancy. My duty to provide advice and consent took on, to me, additional significance. In West Virginia, we are fortunate to have many talented and worthy lawyers who are capable of serving--and willing to serve--on the Federal bench. But the nominee before the Senate today, Stephanie Dawn Thacker, completely stood out to me--and (in turn) to President Obama--as someone who is uniquely qualified to carry on in her own way, Judge Michael's legacy of independence, humility, and intellectual honesty as a Federal judge. There is no question that Stephanie Thacker has reached the heights of the legal profession, both as an award-winning public servant and as an esteemed lawyer in private practice. Her rise is all the more impressive because of the challenges she overcame The circumstances of Stephanie Thacker's early life were not easy.…
