RUTLAND, VT — U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) today delivered remarks at the investiture ceremony of Judge Mary Kay Lanthier, who was confirmed by the Senate with bipartisan support in September. As a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Senator Welch advocated for the confirmation of Judge Lanthier throughout her nomination process in the committee and the full chamber. 

“As a fellow former Public Defender, I understand first-hand the time and dedication Judge Mary Kay Lanthier has shown Vermont to ensure equal justice under the law. Her years of service have elevated Judge Lanthier to a position of extraordinary consequence—to serve as one of only two full-time federal judges in our great State. Throughout the nomination process it was clear that my colleagues saw she was not only highly qualified and highly respected, but also an important member of her close-knit community. She earned the bipartisan support of my colleagues both in the Judiciary Committee and on the Senate Floor,” said Senator Welch. “Judge Lanthier exemplifies the very definition of service, and I have the utmost confidence that she will serve Vermont and this Nation with integrity and distinction.” 

At the ceremony, Senator Welch joined Judge Mary Kay Lanthier and her family; U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.); Chief Judge Christina Reiss, Vermont Federal District Court; Associate Judge Geoffrey Crawford, Vermont Federal District Court; Matthew Valerio, Vermont Defender General; and Justice Bill Cohen, Associate Justice, Vermont Supreme Court. 

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