[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 141 (Thursday, August 23, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S5872]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                     Nomination of Brett Kavanaugh

  Mr. President, on a final matter, this week Judge Brett Kavanaugh has 
continued meeting with Members of the Senate. So far, I believe the 
only Senators who have met with this nominee and then had negative 
things to say about him were Democrats who had already announced 
beforehand they were going to oppose him.
  I suspect that with Judge Kavanaugh you have to go in with a closed 
mind in order to come away unimpressed. This man has served with 
distinction for more than a decade on what many scholars consider the 
second highest court in our Nation--the DC Circuit. His legal 
brilliance and his fair, open-minded approach have won him vocal praise 
from those in the know all across the political spectrum.
  Here is one quote:

       I think it's very hard for anyone who's worked with him, 
     appeared before him to, frankly, say a bad word about him. I 
     mean, this is an incredibly brilliant, careful person . . . 
     legendary for his preparation.

  That is Neal Katyal, who served as Solicitor General to President 
Barack Obama, describing Judge Kavanaugh.
  Here is another quote, from former Obama Solicitor General Donald 
Verrilli:

       Judge Kavanaugh is a brilliant jurist . . . he carries out 
     all phases of his responsibilities as a judge in a way you'd 
     want, in an exemplary way.

  He is, Mr. Verrilli explained, ``a distinguished jurist by any 
measure.''
  This is what it sounds like when legal experts who happen to be on 
the political left make a fair, unbiased assessment of this impressive, 
mainstream nominee.
  In contrast, about one-third of the entire Democratic caucus stood up 
the first week--the first week--after Judge Kavanaugh was announced to 
declare they had seen enough--seen enough--and were dead-set against 
confirming him. One Democrat, a member of the Judiciary Committee, in 
fact, announced that she would oppose whomever--whomever--the President 
selected before Judge Kavanaugh was even nominated, and the ink was 
barely dry on Judge Kavanaugh's nomination when my friend the 
Democratic leader said that he would oppose it with ``everything I've 
got.''
  All this reflexive opposition occurred well before there was any 
mention of documents or any of the other reasons our colleagues have 
come up with to delay the hearing.
  Remember, Judge Kavanaugh has written over 300 opinions from the 
bench, and the Judiciary Committee has already received more than twice 
as many pages of documents pertaining to this nominee than for any 
other Supreme Court nominee in American history--more than 400,000 
pages and counting.
  So however you slice it, every Senator will be historically well-
equipped to provide advice and consent on the President's nominee. No 
shifting rationales or partisan complaints can mask one simple fact: 
Everyone who is willing to give this nominee a fair hearing will be 
able to do precisely that.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. SCHUMER. I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum 
call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mrs. Hyde-Smith). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.