CAPAC Urges Senate to Confirm Edward Chen as U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of California

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, Congresswoman Judy Chu, Chairwoman of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), pushed for a quick up or down vote on the nomination of Edward Chen to be U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of California. Chen was voted out of the Senate Judiciary Committee earlier today.

“Judge Chen is an exceptionally well qualified nominee whose confirmation process has been needlessly stalled,” said Congresswoman Chu. “The seat he has been named to fill is considered a judicial emergency, yet he has been waiting on a vote for over 500 days, longer than any other judicial nominee this Administration. Given his outstanding legal credentials and long list of bipartisan supporters, the Senate should move forward on his confirmation immediately.”

Judge Chen was first nominated on August 6, 2009. He has served as a federal magistrate judge for the past ten years, and has over 20 years of litigation experience prior to the bench. He graduated in the top ten percent of his undergraduate and law school classes the University of California, Berkeley, and has been rated by the American Bar Association as unanimously well qualified, the highest rating given. If confirmed, Judge Chen would also be the first Asian American or Pacific Islander (AAPI) Article III judge in San Francisco.

“The lack of diversity and community representation on the Federal bench is appalling,” said Chu. “Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders make up over 30 percent of the population in San Francisco County, yet they have never had an AAPI judge in this role. As Chairwoman of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, I urge the Senate to bring his nomination up for a vote as soon as possible.”
 

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The Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) is comprised of Members of Congress of Asian and Pacific Islander descent and members who have a strong dedication to promoting the well-being of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. Currently Chaired by Congresswoman Judy Chu, CAPAC has been addressing the needs of the AAPI community in all areas of American life since it was founded in 1994.