[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 203 (Wednesday, December 13, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Page S7981]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                         Election of Doug Jones

  Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, as we know, last night a Democrat won 
in the State of Alabama for the first time in a quarter century.
  Last night's election of Doug Jones was not only the repudiation of a 
candidate unfit to serve in this body; it was an affirmation of a 
candidate who represents the very best of public service.
  I read Doug Jones' bio. One story stands out in my mind. As a second-
year law student, Doug Jones skipped class to attend the trial of the 
Klansman ringleader of the 1963 bombing of the 16th Street Baptist 
Church--an event, as we all remember, that shook the conscience of our 
country and helped launch a mighty movement for civil rights. Although 
a young Doug Jones was moved by the disposition of justice in that 
trial, he was left with the impression that other members of the 
conspiracy had escaped the reach of the law. So 24 years later, when 
Doug Jones became the U.S. attorney in Alabama, he pursued charges 
against two more Klan members involved in the bombing, winning their 
conviction, and delivered a long-delayed but mighty righteous justice.
  Doug Jones deserved to win the race last night. He is a fine man, was 
an excellent candidate, and is going to make an outstanding Senator for 
the people of Alabama. I congratulate Senator-Elect Jones and look 
forward to welcoming him to this Chamber and our caucus.
  Two additional points in regard to the election, which has a link to 
the Chamber here:
  First, the election of a Democrat in such a conservative State, which 
hadn't had a Democratic Senator since 1996--they elected one in 1990, I 
guess--is a clarion call for bipartisanship. The American people are 
clamoring for us to work together, to eschew the politics of 
divisiveness and once again conduct our politics with civility, 
decency, and an eye toward compromise. That is what Doug Jones 
represented as a candidate, it is what he campaigned on, and his 
election should signal to all of my Republican colleagues that the 
American people, from the deepest red States to the deepest blue 
States, yearn for our politics to function again in a bipartisan way.
  The election of a Democrat in such a conservative State is a clarion 
call for bipartisanship. The people of Alabama have spoken, and they 
have sent a message asking both Democrats and Republicans to work 
together to solve our greatest challenges. That is how Doug Jones 
campaigned. Roy Moore did not try to pursue any scintilla of 
bipartisanship, and it might have been one of the reasons he lost, 
particularly in the suburbs of Birmingham and other cities. I hope we 
in this body will take this election in earnest and pursue a course of 
bipartisanship.