[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 184 (Sunday, October 25, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6465-S6466]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                    Nomination of Amy Coney Barrett

  Mr. INHOFE. Mr. President, I have already talked a couple of times 
about this great nominee whom we have in Amy Coney Barrett, and I am 
really proud to speak in support of President Trump's outstanding 
nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court.
  To say that Judge Barrett is qualified to serve on the Supreme Court 
is an understatement. Judge Barrett is the definition of a leader. Her 
record of accomplishments is second to none. Everybody knows it.
  After we had a chance to really evaluate and talk to her and know her 
and visit with her, we found that she was born in New Orleans. She went 
on to graduate from Rhodes College in Memphis and also from Notre Dame 
Law School. She graduated at the top of her class and always has been 
at the top of her class. That is worth pointing out because, when 
confirmed, she will be the only Justice on the bench who did not go to 
Harvard or Yale. Now, that is a good thing. She clerked for one of 
America's finest Supreme Court Justices--the late Antonin Scalia. Since 
2002, she has taught law at Notre Dame, where she has been selected 
``Distinguished Professor of the Year'' three different times.
  In 2017, after being attacked by the Democrats about her strong 
faith, she was confirmed to the Seventh Circuit by this body--and with 
Democratic votes, I might add. Let me repeat that. She was confirmed on 
a bipartisan basis only 3 years ago. But, today, liberals are recycling 
their same stale tactics in an attempt to tarnish another exceptional 
nominee without having any basis in fact or truth. They are attacking 
her Catholic faith. Some operatives have even attacked her for adopting 
children from Haiti. I am not kidding. They are attacking her for that. 
It should go without saying that Judge Barrett should be commended for 
this loving, selfless act, not disparaged for it.
  I personally know that adoption is one of God's greatest gifts. I am 
the proud grandfather of Zegita Marie. I found her during a mission in 
Ethiopia, and my daughter and son-in-law adopted her as a baby. She is 
in college now and is one of my greatest blessings.
  Yet, like clockwork, the Democrats use bogus propaganda to try to 
scare the American people into opposing a Republican President's 
Supreme Court nominee. Over the years, they have made outrageous 
claims, like saying these nominees will take away America's healthcare. 
They have done it time and again. They did it with Anthony Kennedy. 
They did it with David Souter. They did it with John Roberts and, 
recently, with Brett Kavanaugh. Now they are doing it with Judge 
Barrett. Most Americans can see through this far-left hoax, but it is 
important to set the record right. Judge Barrett is not and has never 
advocated in favor of taking away anyone's healthcare--period.
  Liberals have gone after Judge Barrett for her views on abortion. 
First of all, Judge Barrett has every right to enjoy her religious 
freedom. I think we all understand that. I am saddened to see the 
attacks that she has received due to her Catholic faith. Nevertheless, 
her record shows that she will thoughtfully apply the Constitution to 
all cases while honoring Supreme Court precedent. At the same time, she 
has proven that she impartially and faithfully exercises her duties as 
an appellate judge. There is no reason to believe that she would not 
continue to do so as a Justice.
  Now I want to speak about the precedent for acting on today's 
vacancy, which differs from the vacancy of 2016. The Democrats and 
liberal media have called Senate Republicans hypocrites for opposing 
the confirmation of President Obama's Supreme Court nominee in 2016 but 
supporting the confirmation of the President's nominee today. What they 
fail to recognize is that we followed Senate precedent. We followed it 
in 2016, and we are following it again right now.
  In 2016, we had a divided government. What a divided government means 
is that we have different parties controlling the White House and the 
confirming body, the U.S. Senate. In 2016, we had that divided 
government, and

[[Page S6466]]

they were controlled by different parties. The Senate Republicans 
followed the Biden rule then, which is that the Senate does not confirm 
an election year vacancy in which the White House and the Senate are 
controlled by different parties. Despite the Democrats' insistence on 
confirming President Obama's nominee, Senate Republicans followed 
precedent.
  The reality is that, in the modern era, the Senate has not confirmed 
a Supreme Court nominee under a divided government. It just hasn't 
happened. The last time the Senate confirmed a nominee under these 
circumstances was in 1888. Today, we have a united government. The same 
party that has the Senate has the Presidency. The voters elected 
President Trump in 2016. The Senate Republicans grew their majority in 
2018. In nearly every instance in history in which there has been a 
Supreme Court vacancy under a united government, we have voted to 
confirm. In fact, the only time in history that the Senate did not 
confirm a nominee under a united government was in 1968, wherein there 
was bipartisan opposition on ethical grounds. They all agreed that the 
nominee should be withdrawn, and he was withdrawn.
  It is simply false to state that Senate Republicans are going against 
precedent. As a matter of political convenience, the Democrats have 
flip-flopped from what they said in 2016 and are adamantly opposed to a 
vote during an election year. It is not surprising that the media has 
ignored their about-face.
  I am proud of the efforts by Leader McConnell and our Republican 
majority, who have confirmed dozens of President Trump's exemplary 
judicial nominations. I think the number right now is somewhere around 
212, and that may be a record, but those are a lot of nominations
  Senate Republicans and President Trump have followed through on our 
promise to remake the judiciary with more judges who interpret the law 
as written, not legislate from the bench. We all know what we are 
talking about there. With Judge Barrett, we have the opportunity to 
confirm the President's third Supreme Court nominee to the bench.
  Everyone knows Judge Barrett is hard-working, principled, and 
committed to serving her fellow Americans. In a 2017 letter, a 
bipartisan group of law professors called her work ``rigorous, fair-
minded, respectful, and constructive.'' I couldn't agree more. I know 
she will serve our highest Court with honor and distinction, and I look 
forward to voting to confirm the nomination soon. She is, I really 
think, the most gifted, talented jurist to be found in America today.
  My wife and I have been married for 60 years. We have 20 kids and 
grandkids. They are the ones who are going to be the beneficiaries of 
the service of Judge Barrett. She is going to be confirmed as an 
Associate Justice on our High Court in a matter of hours, and this is 
going to be a great thing for America.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Arkansas.