Contact: Matt Dempsey 202-224-9797 matt_dempsey@epw.senate.gov

 

Inhofe-Boxer Discharge Judge Roll Naming Bill from EPW

Washington, D.C.- Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, together with EPW Committee Chairman Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), discharged S. 188 — a bill introduced by Senator John McCain (R-AZ) and Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ) to designate the new courthouse in Yuma, Arizona as the “John M. Roll United States Courthouse”—to the floor today. Senator Inhofe made the following statement on the Floor today:

 

 Full Inhofe Floor Statement as Prepared For Delivery

Shortly after the tragedy in Tucson, Senators McCain and Kyl's offices reached out to my Environment and Public Works Committee staff to discuss how they could honor Judge John Roll by naming the new courthouse that will be constructed in Yuma, Arizona after him.

Many of us have just come to know about the work of Judge Roll after the tragic shooting, when he died heroically while protecting Ron Barber, Congresswoman Gifford's district director, sacrificing himself. 

But my office has known about Judge Roll's work on behalf of the judicial system in Arizona for some time.  Judge Roll contacted my committee staff last year after a GAO report criticized the way Arizona was utilizing its courthouse space.  As Judge Roll wrote to us, "[O]n behalf of the District of Arizona, I strongly disagree with many of the conclusions in the report, particularly as they relate to Arizona and its attempts to cope with an ever-burgeoning criminal caseload - largely arising from border enforcement." He hoped his response to the report would be helpful to us, and it was.

I believe that the decision to name the Yuma Arizona courthouse after Judge Roll is a fitting tribute to a man who served his state with distinction.

This courthouse is a new courthouse. It will help alleviate some of the overcrowding that is going on in Arizona right now.

Judge Roll was highly regarded by his colleagues and clearly took his job as Judge seriously. Doing more than simply deciding on cases and going home, he was an active advocate for the judicial system in Arizona. I believe that we would have had this courthouse named after him upon his retirement had his life not been tragically ended. 

Senators McCain and Kyl introduced S. 188 today, and I am happy to announce that Senator Boxer and I have discharged S. 188 to the floor today as well.  We couldn't imagine doing anything less.