WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Senate Judiciary Committee approved two U.S. District Court judge nominees from Pennsylvania today, sending their nominations to the Senate floor for a final vote.

Matthew Brann and Malachy Mannion, judicial nominees for the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, were approved by voice vote after a June confirmation hearing.

U.S. Senators Bob Casey (D-Pa.) and Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) spoke at their June confirmation hearing and congratulated the nominees after the vote.

"I'm pleased that the Judiciary Committee has voted in favor of the judicial nominations Malachy Mannion and Matthew Brann," Sen. Casey said. "Both nominees were selected through a bipartisan process that included myself, Sen. Toomey and the administration. Malachy Mannion and Matthew Brann will make excellent judges and I'm hopeful that the full Senate will soon vote in favor of these nominations in a bipartisan fashion."

"Matthew Brann has a wealth of legal experience gained from more than two decades in private practice, and I look forward to seeing him on the federal bench in Williamsport soon," Sen. Toomey said. "Malachy Mannion has served honorably for more than a decade as a U.S. District magistrate judge, and his intellect, experience and knowledge of the law will serve him well in his new role. I hope the Senate will confirm these qualified, experienced nominees in a timely manner."

Biographies for both of the nominees are listed below.

Judicial Nomination of Matthew Brann, Middle District of Pennsylvania

Matthew Brann is currently a partner at Brann, Williams, Caldwell & Sheetz, where he has worked since 1991 on civil trial litigation, corporate and commercial transactions, probate and estate planning, and general real estate transactions. Before joining the firm, he served as a law clerk to Bradford County Court of Common Pleas Judge John C. Mott.

He serves on the boards of a number of charitable and civic organizations, including the Lions Club, the Boy Scouts of America, the Martha Lloyd School, Guthrie Health, the Five Rivers Council, the Endless Mountain Music Festival, the Elmira City Club, and the Wheel Inn.

Brann graduated from the Pennsylvania State University's Dickinson School of Law in 1990. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Notre Dame in 1987. Brann and his wife, Laura, have two sons, John and Peter.

Judicial Nomination of Malachy Mannion, Middle District of Pennsylvania

Since 2001, Malachy Mannion has served as a magistrate judge for the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Before joining the bench, Mannion served as an assistant U.S. attorney for the Middle District from 1986 to 1993 and again from 1997 to 2001. He has also worked as a principal at Hourigan, Kluger, Spohrer & Quinn from 1993 to 1997 and served as the senior assistant district attorney and trial supervisor in the Nassau County (N.Y.) District Attorney's office from 1980 to 1986.

Mannion received his Juris Doctor from Pace University School of Law in 1979 and a Bachelors of Science from the University of Scranton in 1976.