The presiding officer thank you. Mrs. Feinstein i rise to oppose the nomination of mr. Bress. This is a california seat on the ninth circuit, and the fact is that mr. Bress is neither a California Attorney nor a california resident. In fact, hes not been a resident of the state for over a decade. Hes lived and practiced in the washington, d. C. , area for almost his entire adult life. As california senators, senator harris and i know that the kind of experience and connection to california is really necessary for a ninth circuit judge to be effective on the bench. We know our state, we know our constituents, and we know the challenges they face, and thats why the blue slip is so important. Honoring the blue slip ensures that the senators who understand are and are accountable to their constituents have a say in judicial nominations for their home states. Our blue slips, senator harris and mine, were not returned. Ultimately that symbolizes our objections. I was very disappointed that t