[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 61 (Wednesday, April 6, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2004-S2006]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                  Nomination of Ketanji Brown Jackson

  Mr. President, a second important topic is in front of us right now, 
and that is Judge Jackson's nomination to be an Associate Justice of 
the Supreme Court. I enthusiastically support the nomination of Judge 
Jackson. I supported it at a recent committee hearing and in our 
committee vote on Monday. As a member of the Senate Judiciary 
Committee, I have had the opportunity to spend a lot of time with the 
judge, in my office for nearly an hour and then watching her 
persevere--that is a good word--through 2 full days of questions. And I 
know that she is going to be confirmed by the Senate. And, by the way, 
I appreciate the support of every Democrat for her nomination, as well 
as of Senators Collins and Murkowski and Romney.
  She showed the American people why she is the person to meet this 
moment in our country's history. She is someone that showed such grace 
under pressure, as so many people have had to do, by the way, in the 
last 2 years. She showed herself to be a true person, someone that when 
asked about how you balanced work with being a mom, she said: We are 
not all perfect. I can't do everything all the time, but I try my best, 
and I love my kids.

[[Page S2005]]

  And she clearly is a shining example of a good mother. She talked 
about her faith. Even under direct, over-the-top questioning by our 
colleagues, she kept true to her faith and to her values and to her 
view of a judge, which is to take the facts and the law and make a 
decision without fear or favor. She showed the American people why she 
is the person to meet this moment as the first Black woman nominated to 
the Court and only the sixth woman in the history of our country.
  One hundred fifteen Justices--she is the sixth woman. She will open a 
door that has been long shut for so many, and she will do it by virtue 
of her strong presence, her skills, and her experience. She will show 
little girls and boys across the country that everything is possible.
  She was already an inspiration to one 11-year-old girl by the name of 
Maddi Morgan. I met Maddi's dad when I was on a walk in Washington, DC. 
He parked his car, sprung out of his car, and showed me the letter that 
his daughter had written President Biden when President Biden announced 
that he was going to make a nomination but didn't reveal who it was and 
was interviewing candidates.
  Maddi, his 11-year-old, decided that she would be appropriate for the 
job. She noted that she would live many more years and so, therefore, 
would be the longest serving Justice in history. She noted that she 
could be a voice for kids. She also noted that she lived very close to 
the courthouse, and she could walk to work all the time.
  And then when Judge Jackson was announced by President Biden as the 
nominee, Maddi said this:

       If I'm going to be snubbed, it couldn't be for a better 
     candidate.

  So that little 11-year-old girl was sitting in the hearing room 
watching as a woman who is truly an inspiration to her, Judge Jackson, 
answered question after question.
  And by the way, I am not surprised at some of our Republican 
colleagues either supporting Judge Jackson or voicing their belief that 
she is a qualified person and a smart person and someone who deserves 
to be nominated, even if they, for other reasons, aren't voting for 
her. I think they are pretty consistent in saying, with the American 
public, that Judge Jackson is qualified.
  In fact, two-thirds of Americans, according to one recent poll, say 
Judge Jackson should be confirmed.
  As we learned during the hearing, Judge Jackson grew up in a family 
who values public service. Her parents, whom I had the chance to meet, 
started their careers as teachers. And when Judge Jackson's dad set his 
sights on becoming a lawyer, her mom figured out how to support the 
family while he attended law school.
  As a lawyer, she balanced work with parenthood. I appreciated hearing 
about how Judge Jackson would sit with her dad while he was studying 
the law books and she was doing a coloring book.
  She, as someone who has been a Federal public defender--the first 
with that experience who will be in the room where it happens--but also 
having many relatives in law enforcement has a unique perspective of 
the law and a very important respect for people in law enforcement.
  Her brother was a police officer who also served in the military. One 
of her uncles was a detective, and the other uncle was the chief of 
police for the Miami Police Department.
  It was from that family of public servants that Judge Jackson set her 
sights high.
  After graduating from law school, doing very well there, she was a 
clerk for Justice Breyer. And then as she heads into this nomination 
after three votes--this will be her fourth vote in front of this Senate 
with bipartisan support--she will come to the Court with more--with 
more--judicial experience than four other Justices had when they went 
on the Court. These are current Justices.
  She is the person we need right now. We know that trust in the Court 
has been fading, and so to have someone that has her legal acumen and 
background but also to have someone who gets that these decisions 
aren't just words on a page; that the words on the page and the 
decisions you make as a judge are connected to real people; they affect 
whether someone is going to get healthcare; they affect their own 
healthcare choices; they affect if you are going to have clean water or 
air; and they affect whether or not you can actually vote and how you 
can vote and when you can vote and if you can vote--she gets it.
  I appreciated her willingness to take so many questions. We talked 
about antitrust, a subject true to my heart, as well as the importance 
of the First Amendment and many other detailed questions that she got. 
And I know a lot of those questions that got attention were the over-
the-top ones, the attacks on her, but, nevertheless, the bulk of the 
questions in that hearing got to true questions about the law and her 
views and her knowledge of the cases, and she passed every single thing 
with flying colors.
  At this critical moment, Judge Jackson has the qualities to make sure 
that the Court and the Constitution, in Justice Breyer's words, ``work 
for the people of today.''
  She has a quintessentially American story, and as she put it, her 
success is a ``testament to the hope and promise of this country.''
  I urge my colleagues to embrace the hope and promise of Judge Jackson 
and the hope and promise of this country.
  Vote for her.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I am here to voice my very strong, 
enthusiastic support for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson's nomination and 
to urge all of our colleagues in joining me to vote to confirm her.
  Judge Jackson is one of the most exceptional Supreme Court nominees I 
have met, and I am so excited she is on her way to the Supreme Court. 
It is incredibly well deserved and incredibly good news for our 
country.
  The bottom line for me is always, can I tell my constituents back 
home in Washington State that if they ever have a case before this 
judge, this is someone who will listen, who will understand, and 
someone who will make a thoughtful, fair decision for them based on the 
laws of our Nation? And the answer with Judge Jackson is a resounding 
yes.
  It is clear from her record she has the experience. It was clear from 
her hearing that she has a masterful understanding of the law and a 
seemingly endless supply of perhaps unwarranted patience.
  And I think it is clear to anyone, after a few minutes with her, she 
has heart, compassion, and a commitment to justice.
  So it should be no surprise her nomination was met with wide acclaim, 
including from prominent Republican lawyers and retired judges 
appointed by Republican Presidents.
  As a professional, Judge Jackson's record doesn't merely check the 
boxes we have come to expect from our Supreme Court nominees: a 
clerkship for Justice Breyer, experience as a district court judge and 
a circuit court judge. She also has experience that is less common to 
the highest Court in the land, and for that reason, all the more 
important--like her experience on the U.S. Sentencing Commission, a 
perspective only the retiring Justice Breyer brought to the Supreme 
Court or her experience as a public defender, something no other 
Supreme Court Justice has ever had. This is so important and so long 
overdue.
  Being a public defender means developing an in-depth understanding of 
the legal needs of everyday people. Judges from these kinds of legal 
backgrounds can be better equipped to understand the experiences of 
each person before them to recognize the burden laws often place on 
people who are living with low income or otherwise marginalized, and 
ultimately to render more informed, more just decisions.
  And Judge Jackson's background is more than simply a resume. It is 
her perspective growing up as the daughter of two public school 
teachers, her perspective as a working mother with two daughters of her 
own, and her perspective as a Black woman working in a profession where 
stories like hers were few and far between.

[[Page S2006]]

  I have no doubt that perspective will serve her and the people who 
come before her well as a Supreme Court Justice.
  And while her personal story tells us a lot, the way she gracefully 
and knowledgeably handled her confirmation hearings shows us even more. 
During a confirmation process that a few Republicans tried to make 
incredibly ugly, she showed the kind of poise and patience befitting a 
U.S. Supreme Court Justice.
  Over the course of hundreds of questions, she offered thoughtful 
answers that demonstrated expert understanding of the law, a carefully 
considered methodology for how she approaches each case, and an 
unmistakable commitment to ensuring justice and upholding the liberties 
of all Americans, not just the powerful and well connected.
  And that is so important, especially at a time when so many rights 
are under attack. We continue to see Republicans pushing through 
blatantly unconstitutional laws on the right to abortion. We are seeing 
the tragic consequences of those reckless restrictions every day.
  We are also seeing attacks on the rights of workers as they seek to 
organize or form a union and fight for a better workplace.
  We are even seeing attacks on the cornerstone of our democracy--the 
right to vote--as Republicans have continually pushed through measures 
to block the ballot box and some even continue to dangerously deny the 
legitimacy of the last election.
  We need a Supreme Court Justice who understands, as Judge Jackson 
once put it, ``Presidents are not kings;'' someone who understands 
equal justice is for all, not just the wealthy and the powerful. There 
are so many critical issues which come before the Court that matter so 
deeply to the American people--cases about workers' rights or 
reproductive rights or voting rights or Tribal sovereignty, climate 
change, gun safety, immigration, and so much more.
  My constituents deserve to know the Justices hearing these cases are 
really going to listen to their concerns, understand their experiences, 
uphold our Constitution, and defend their rights. They deserve a 
Justice as thoughtful, compassionate, and committed as Ketanji Brown 
Jackson.
  I first ran for Senate because of the Supreme Court, watching the 
hearings with Anita Hill. I was frustrated that there was no one on the 
dais who looked like me, no one asking the questions that I would ask; 
and for most of the country throughout most of our history, our courts 
have been the same way. They have not represented the diversity of our 
Nation--not by a long shot. I am proud to say we are finally fixing 
that, including in my home State of Washington. And soon, we will take 
another historic step at the highest level possible. We will vote to 
put another mom on the Supreme Court.
  Ketanji Brown Jackson will make history as the first Black woman to 
serve on the highest Court in the land, though I am sure she will not 
be the last, because I know now there are little girls across the 
country watching as the Senate confirms someone who looks like them to 
the Supreme Court for the first time ever. They are not just watching 
history being made; they are watching a barrier fall down, a path open 
up, and a new future that seems more possible than ever before.
  You know, I first ran for office because I watched the Supreme Court 
process and I was frustrated. Today, I am no less energized, but for a 
very different reason. Today, I am excited. I am inspired, even. And I 
hope people across our country watching this are as well.
  I hope a future Senator or a future Justice or even a future 
President is able to talk about what this moment meant to them and what 
doors Justice Jackson opened for others. I am thrilled to be voting yes 
on this nomination, and I strongly urge all of our colleagues to do the 
same.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Ms. Rosen). The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. BROWN. I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call 
be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. BROWN. Madam President, it is an honor to support a thoughtful, 
experienced, historic nominee to our highest Court, Ketanji Brown 
Jackson.
  I met with her yesterday. It was so clear she has the experience, she 
has the character, she has the commitment to justice needed to be an 
excellent Supreme Court Justice. We talked about the legacy and the 
unfinished fight of Dr. King, how we could never forget that he was 
martyred in Memphis while fighting for the rights of sanitation 
workers, some of the most exploited workers in segregated America--
segregated in Memphis, TN.
  Dr. King understood better than perhaps anybody how worker rights and 
voter rights come together. It is clear that Judge Jackson understands 
the dignity of work and that the rights of workers are integral civil 
rights. People think of the Supreme Court as something like an ivory 
tower detached from people's everyday lives, and we know that decisions 
these Justices make affect America's workplaces and their paychecks and 
their safety on the job. That is why it matters so much whom we promote 
to these jobs.
  I am confident that Judge Jackson will be a Justice who protects the 
rights of all Americans, not just the powerful, not just the 
privileged. She brings with her a diverse set of experiences and a 
perspective that has long been lacking from our Nation's highest 
Courts.
  We, of course, know she is the first Black woman nominated to serve 
on the Court. She is a daughter of a public schoolteacher. She went to 
public schools herself--not that common, frankly, on the U.S. Supreme 
Court--and she is a former public defender. The nomination is truly 
historic.
  Her parents attended segregated primary schools, and now, their 
daughter will ascend to the highest levels of our government. Think 
about that.
  Judge Jackson has a history of bipartisan support. Republicans 
supported her confirmation to the U.S. Court of Appeals. I am glad a 
few of my Republican colleagues have recognized those unimpeachable 
qualifications and are supporting her confirmation this week.
  I don't know how anyone could doubt her intelligence, her 
thoughtfulness, her knowledge of the law, and her commitment to 
justice. She clerked for Justice Breyer. She has shown she is the ideal 
nominee to carry on his legacy of building consensus, in listening to 
all perspectives.
  It was an honor to talk with her yesterday and to hear her views. It 
will be an honor to vote for her later this week.
  Over the coming months and years, the Supreme Court is set to make 
decisions on everything from Ohioans' healthcare to workplace safety to 
their right to vote. If the Court makes these decisions that affect all 
Ohioans' lives, I am confident that Judge Jackson understands the 
importance of equal justice and as a commitment to our Constitution, 
including civil rights and including worker rights. She will serve 
Ohioans and all Americans with the same grace and dignity and 
commitment to our country she has shown over the past several weeks--
meeting with Senators, speaking to the President, and in speaking to 
the Nation through the Judiciary Committee hearings. I urge my 
colleagues to join me in supporting her confirmation.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Ohio.