WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Ted Cruz (R-TX) today released the following statements after President Trump announced his intention to nominate five candidates to fill vacancies on federal district courts in Texas:  

“Working with Senator Cruz, I was proud to recommend these qualified individuals to fill critical vacancies on our courts,” Sen. Cornyn said. “I’m confident these nominees will serve Texans well on the bench by faithfully applying the law, and I hope the Senate will move quickly to confirm them.” 

“I am proud to support the nominations of these principled men and women to the federal bench,” Sen. Cruz said. “Each of them is an accomplished attorney with a proven record of excellence, professionalism, and fidelity to the U.S. Constitution. The last few years have demonstrated that our country desperately needs a new generation of jurists who are willing and able to defend the rule of law, and I believe that these five Texas nominees bring us one step closer to that goal. I commend the President for these nominations and urge my colleagues to give these eminently qualified nominees a speedy confirmation.” 

The Senators recommended all five of the nominees to President Trump following an extensive review and interview process of the candidate pool by the bipartisan Federal Judicial Evaluation Committee (FJEC).  Sen. Cornyn and Sen. Cruz established the FJEC, a bipartisan panel of leading attorneys in Texas, to help identify the most qualified candidates to fill judicial vacancies. The panel reviewed applications, interviewed candidates, and made recommendations to the Senators, who interviewed individuals before making their recommendations to the President. 

Walter David Counts, III: Nominee for the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas – Midland-Odessa Division

Karen Gren Scholer: Nominee for the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas – Dallas Division

Matthew J. Kacsmaryk: Nominee for the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas – Amarillo Division

Jeff Mateer: Nominee for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas – Sherman Division

Fernando Rodriguez, Jr.: Nominee for the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas – Brownsville Division