Grassley Opens Judiciary Committee Nominations Hearing to Consider Circuit, District and Executive Nominees

Prepared Opening Statement by Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa Chairman, Senate Judiciary Committee Nominations Tuesday, November 10, 2026 I’d like to welcome everyone to today’s hearing. Today, we’ll have two panels. The first panel features Todd Butler, who is nominated to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Our second panel has three district court nominees: Samuel Adkisson, for the Eastern District of Tennessee; Philip Axt, for the District of North Dakota; and Bradford Kelly, for the Eastern District of Louisiana. Our second panel will also feature Arthur Kleinschmidt, who is nominated to serve as the Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs. Because we have a number of introducers and a lot to get through today, I’m going to be brief to keep us on schedule. Today’s nominees feature a wide array of backgrounds. Mr. Butler has extensive experience in private practice. Mr. Adkisson and Mr. Kelley are public servants at the federal level. And Mr. Axt serves at the state level as North Dakota’s Solicitor General. They’re all exceptional attorneys. On multiple occasions, I’ve noted that the president continues to nominate individuals with military backgrounds. I think that disciplined experience is an asset to the federal bench. Mr. Kelley and Mr. Axt both served in our nation’s military. And I thank them for their service. Dr. Kleinschmidt also has an inspirational story. As a clinician, he’s dedicated years to helping Americans in addiction counseling. He’s managed many grants, including those that help victims of the opioid crisis. He’s a leader in that field. I look forward to hearing from all of our nominees today. I’ll now turn it over to Ranking Member Durbin. -30-