[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 19 (Monday, January 31, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Page S396]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                      Tribute to Stephen G. Breyer

  Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, last Thursday, Associate Justice 
Stephen Breyer announced that after 27 years of service, he will retire 
from the Supreme Court at the conclusion of this term.
  Shortly after his nomination was first announced in 1994, then-Judge 
Breyer mused publicly about what he expected his time on the High Court 
would bring. He told reporters it was his hope to ``make the average 
person's ordinary life better.'' Nearly three decades later, we can 
safely say that Justice Breyer has met that mark and then some.
  Throughout American history, only 115 individuals have sat on the 
Nation's High Court, and few have served as long and as effectively as 
Justice Breyer. From his opinions on voting rights, environmental 
protections, women's reproductive freedom, and protecting access to 
affordable healthcare, Justice Breyer's impact upon our Nation will 
last for generations. America is a more perfect Union today because of 
Justice Stephen Breyer.
  Of course, Justice Breyer's legacy of service extends beyond even his 
remarkable time on the Supreme Court. For 13 years, he also sat on the 
U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. Before that, he served for 
8 years as a member of the Army Reserves. And, of course, Members of 
this Chamber cannot forget that he was once a part of the Senate 
itself, serving as an aide on the Judiciary Committee in the seventies, 
where he worked closely with our dear friend, the late Senator Ted 
Kennedy. At every step of the way, he remained his essential self--
decent, brilliant, and dedicated to our democracy.
  Now, with this new vacancy on the Court, President Biden will have an 
opportunity to make history by nominating the first ever Black woman to 
serve on the Supreme Court. I am confident that the President will 
select an outstanding individual to fill Justice Breyer's seat, and we 
intend to move quickly on our constitutional duty to act on his nominee 
when announced. I can assure all Senators that the Senate will have a 
fair process that moves quickly so we can confirm President Biden's 
nominee to fill Justice Breyer's seat as soon as possible.
  Today, Members of this Chamber say thank you to Justice Breyer for 
his lifetime of public service.