10.05.21

Cantwell Applauds Confirmation of Lauren King to US District Court for the Western District of Washington

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) spoke on the Senate floor in support of Lauren King’s confirmation for the US District Court for the Western District of Washington. King was confirmed by the Senate with a vote of 55-44. Senator Cantwell’s full floor speech is below:

“Mr. President, I come to the floor this afternoon to support the nomination of Lauren King to serve as Judge for the U.S. District Court of Western Washington. I am pleased to have recommended her to President Biden.

“As a citizen of the Muscogee Nation, Ms. King will be the first Native American Federal Judge from my home state, and only the sixth ever Native judge in our country's history. She's extremely well qualified and has an abundance of Tribal Court experience, something that's very important in my state. We are home to 29 federally recognized Tribes and it's long overdue that our federal court system includes those who have a deep understanding and appreciation of Tribal Trust Responsibilities and federal Indian law. And Ms. King has extensive litigation experience and is a recognized leader in Tribal law.

“She has been a pro tem appellate judge for the Northwest Intertribal Court System since 2013. She has also served as a commissioner on the Washington State Gambling Commission and chairs her law firm’s Native American Law Practice Group, a graduate of the University of Washington, and the University of Virginia School of Law. She has also taught federal Indian law at Seattle University.

“She has earned the support of the National Congress of American Indians and the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians, and [other] leading Native organizations. So I know she will make an excellent addition to our court [in] the Western District of Washington, and I urge my colleagues to support her nomination.”

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