[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 62 (Thursday, April 7, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2057-S2058]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  NOMINATION OF KETANJI BROWN JACKSON

  Mr. SCHUMER. Now, Mr. President, the Senate gavels in this morning 
for a joyous, momentous, groundbreaking day. This morning, we will vote 
to end debate on the nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to be a 
Justice on the U.S. Supreme Court, and, later this afternoon, the 
Senate will fulfill its constitutional duty to finally confirm this 
remarkable and groundbreaking jurist.
  The cloture vote is scheduled to take place at approximately 11 a.m., 
and we will aim to vote on final confirmation in the afternoon, the 
time depending on how many Members wish to speak.
  Today is a culmination--a culmination for more than 6 weeks where 
this Chamber has examined and debated and questioned Judge Jackson on 
her record and her qualifications. Every step of the way the judge has 
proved herself exceptionally qualified, thoughtful, and prepared to 
serve on the Court. As I said, she encapsulates the three b's: 
brilliant, beloved, and belongs. She belongs on the Supreme Court. It 
is now up to us to finish the work that the President entrusted us to 
do.
  So today is also a joyous celebration in another way. In the 233-year 
history of the Supreme Court, never, never has a Black woman held the 
title of Justice. Ketanji Brown Jackson will be the first, and I 
believe the first of more to come.
  This milestone should have happened generations ago--generations 
ago--but we are always trodding on a path toward a more perfect Union. 
Nevertheless, America today is taking a giant step toward making our 
Union more perfect.
  People sometimes talk about standing on the shoulder of giants. Well, 
Judge Jackson will go down in history as an American giant upon whose 
shoulders others will stand tall, and our democracy will be better off 
for it.

[[Page S2058]]

  I will have more to say later this afternoon, prior to the final vote 
on the confirmation, but for now I want to thank Chairman Durbin of the 
Senate Judiciary Committee for beautifully executing the nomination, 
all the members of the Judiciary Committee for their thoughtful and 
respectful--all my Democratic colleagues on the Judiciary Committee for 
their thoughtful and insightful examination of the judge's record, and 
I want to thank those Republican Senators who chose to take this 
process seriously.
  So it is truly a joyous day; joyous for the Senate, joyous for the 
Court, joyous for America.
  Let us finish the work today of confirming Judge Jackson, finally, to 
the Supreme Court of the United States.

                          ____________________