THANK YOU, SENATOR DURBIN AND DRINKING NUMBER GRASSLEY. JUDGE JACKSON, WELCOME. WE MET RECENTLY IN MY OFFICE AND WE HAVE SEEN YOU IN THIS COMMITTEE BEFORE AND WE ARE SO HAPPY TO HAVE YOU BACK. IF SENATOR WHITEHOUSE IS PLEASED YOU ONCE CLERKED FOR A RHODE ISLAND JUDGE, WE IN MINNESOTA ARE EQUALLY HAPPY YOU ARE WINNING BOLD PURPLE, WINNING OVER MINNESOTA VIKINGS FANS THE WORLD OVER. I WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME YOUR HUSBAND, PATRICK, AND YOUR TWO DAUGHTERS AND YOUR OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS AND FRIENDS. IT IS CLEAR YOUR FAMILY, STARTING WITH YOUR PARENTS WHO I GOT TO MEET SITTING THERE IN THE FRONT ROW, WHO ONCE WORKED AS TEACHERS THAT YOUR FAMILY HAS BEEN A CONSTANT SOURCE OF INSPIRATION AND SUPPORT FOR YOU. MY MOM TAUGHT SECOND GRADE UNTIL SHE WAS 70 YEARS OLD SO I KNOW FIRSTHAND IT IS PRETTY GREAT TO HAVE A PARENT WHO IS ALSO A TEACHER AND THEY NEVER STOP CHECKING YOUR SPELLING. AS A LAWYER WHO ALSO BALANCED WORK WITH PARENTHOOD MYSELF I PARTICULARLY ENJOYED YOUR STORY ABOUT SITTING WITH YOUR DAD. YOU HAD A COLORING BOOK AND HE WAS STUDYING HIS LOGBOOK. -- LAW BOOK. WHILE THESE ARE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR AMERICANS TO GET TO KNOW YOUR LEGAL ACUMEN, WE ALSO LEARN ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND, YOUR EXPERIENCES, YOUR VALUES AND FOR SO MANY OF US, INCLUDING PEOPLE WATCHING THIS HEARING ACROSS THE COUNTRY, OUR VALUES START WITH OUR FAMILY. THERE IS SOMETHING ELSE PARTICULARLY SPECIAL ABOUT THIS HEARING OF COURSE. YOU HAVE BEEN NOMINATED BY PRESIDENT BIDEN AS THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN TO SERVE ON THE SUPREME COURT. THAT IS HISTORIC. WITH 115 JUSTICES HAVING SERVED SO FAR IN OUR HISTORY YOU ARE THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN AND IT IS LONG PAST TIME. IN FACT, THIS ENTIRE HEARING IS ABOUT OPENING THINGS UP. THE HEARING ROOM, WE OPENED IT WITH ACTUAL GUESTS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A WHILE AND YOU ARE OPENING UP THE SENATE AND THE COURT BY VIRTUE OF YOUR VERY PRESENCE. YOU, JUDGE, OR OPENING A DOOR THAT IS LONG BEEN SHUT TO MANY AND BY VIRTUE OF YOUR STRONG PRESENCE, YOUR SKILLS, YOUR EXPERIENCE, YOU ARE SHOWING SO MANY LITTLE GIRLS AND BOYS ACROSS THE COUNTRY THAT ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE. WE ARE HERE TO CARRY OUT ONE OF THIS COMMITTEE'S MOST SOLEMN CONSTITUTIONAL OBLIGATIONS, TO ADVISE AND CONSENT ON PRESIDENT BIDEN'S NOMINATION TO THE SUPREME COURT. BUT THIS IS ALSO A TIME FOR US TO CONSIDER THE SUPREME COURT'S PLACE IN OUR DEMOCRACY AND HOW IT IMPACTS PEOPLE. YOU HAVE BEEN NOMINATED TO JUSTICE BREYER'S SEAT. YOU CLERKED FOR HIM AND I KNOW HE HAS BEEN, AND IS, A WONDERFUL MENTOR TO YOU. I WOULD LIKE TO START WITH HIS WORDS. HE ONCE WROTE THE SUPREME COURT MUST HELP MAINTAIN PUBLIC ACCEPTANCE OF ITS OWN LEGITIMACY. HE SAID, "IT CAN DO THIS BEST BY HELPING ENSURE THAT THE CONSTITUTION REMAINS WORKABLE IN A BROAD SENSE OF THE TERM. SPECIFICALLY IT CAN AND SHOULD INTERPRET THE CONSTITUTION IN A WAY THAT WORKS FOR THE PEOPLE OF TODAY." THOSE WORDS, HIS WORDS, ARE HIGHLY RELEVANT TO THE COURT. AND JUSTICE BREYER DID NOT JUST WRITE ABOUT THOSE VALUES. IN HIS 27 YEARS ON THE COURT HE LIVED THEM. HE APPROACHED CASES WITH A PRAGMATIC VIEW OF THE LAW AND HE UNDERSTOOD THE REFERENCE TO THE CONSTITUTION REQUIRES NOT JUST A RESPECT FOR THE PAST, ALTHOUGH IT DOES THAT, BUT ALSO AN EYE FOR THE FUTURE. AS WE ARE HERE TO CONFIRM A NEW JUSTICE FOR HIS SEAT I URGE MY COLLEAGUES TO REMEMBER HIS WORDS ABOUT HOW THE COURT MUST CONSIDER THE EFFECT OF ITS ACTION ON PEOPLE'S LIVES. HOW IT MUST SEE THE PEOPLE AT THE END OF THE RULINGS. LIKE AMERICANS WHO ARE ONE SUPREME COURT DECISION AWAY FROM LOSING THEIR HEALTH INSURANCE OR ONE COURT DECISION AWAY FROM THE ABILITY TO MAKE THEIR OWN HEALTH CARE CHOICES OR THE DREAMERS WHO COULD LOSE THE ONLY COUNTRY THEY HAVE EVER KNOWN OR THE PEOPLE WHO WAITED FOR HOURS IN THE RAIN ONE RECENT ELECTION DAY IN WISCONSIN, WEARING GARBAGE BAGS AND HOMEMADE MASKS IN THE MIDDLE OF WHAT WOULD SOON BECOME A GLOBAL PANDEMIC. JUST TO EXERCISE THEIR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO VOTE. THE COURT DECIDES CASES WITH LIFE-CHANGING CONSEQUENCES FOR PEOPLE. IT MAKES DECISIONS THAT DICTATE HEALTH AND SAFETY STANDARDS FOR WORKERS, PROTECTIONS FOR SENIORS, WHETHER WE CAN HAVE CLEAN AIR AND WATER. THE SUPREME COURT ISSUES RULINGS THAT COULD DETERMINE WHO COULD MAKE THEIR VOICES HEARD IN OUR DEMOCRACY AND HOW THEY CAN DO IT. JUDGE JACKSON, THIS WEEK I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING MORE ON YOUR VIEWS OF THE REAL-WORLD IMPLICATIONS OF THE LAW AND ABOUT HOW YOU WILL RESPECT THE CONSTITUTION AND LEGAL PRECEDENT WHILE STRIVING TO ENSURE WE HAVE A CORD THAT WORKS FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. JUDGE, I BELIEVE YOU HAVE EXACTLY THE SORT OF UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE LAW MEANS IN PEOPLE'S LIVES THAT AMERICANS WOULD WANT IN A JUSTICE. YOU ARE FROM A FAMILY THAT KNOWS SOMETHING ABOUT MAKING IT WORK. BOTH OF YOUR PARENTS ATTENDED SEGREGATED PRIMARY SCHOOLS AND LATER BECAME TEACHERS. AND WHEN YOUR DAD SET HIS SIGHTS ON BECOMING A LAWYER YOUR MOM FIGURED OUT HOW TO SUPPORT THE FAMILY WHILE HE ATTENDED LAW SCHOOL. AFTER BEING A STAR DEBATER IN HIGH SCHOOL YOU WENT ON TO GRADUATE MAGIC ALLOWED A IN COLLEGE AND WENT ON TO GRADUATE WITH HONORS FROM LAW SCHOOL. AFTER LOSS COULD YOU CLERKED FOR FEDERAL JUDGES NOMINATED BY DEMOCRATIC AND REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTS AND YOU HAD THE HONOR OF SERVING AS A CLERK TO JUSTICE BREYER. THESE ARE NOT JUST LINES ON YOUR RESUME. THEY SHOW YOU HAVE WORKED TO APPLY THE LAW AT EVERY LEVEL OF THE FEDERAL SYSTEM AND BEYOND THOSE CREDENTIALS YOU HAVE THE PERSPECTIVES OF SOMEONE WHO HAS SEEN THE LAW THROUGH THE EYES OF THOSE CLOSEST TO IT. YOUR BROTHER WORKED AS A POLICE OFFICER IN BALTIMORE. ONE OF YOUR UNCLES WAS A YOU KNOW WHAT IT MEANS FOR A PERSON TO PUT THEIR LIFE ON THE LINE TO DEFEND THE RULE OF LAW. IT IS NO SURPRISE TO ME THAT YOU RECEIVED THE LETTER SENATOR DURBIN WIDGEON, LETTER OF SUPPORT FROM THE FRED TURNER -- FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE. YOU ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT FOR A JUSTICE SYSTEM TO BE TRULY WORKABLE, IT MUST ACCOUNT FOR THOSE WHO LACK THE RESOURCES TO DEFEND THEMSELVES, AND YOU WOULD BE THE FIRST JUSTICE TO BRING THAT EXPERIENCE TO THE COURT. I BELIEVE THAT BECAUSE OF YOUR EXPERIENCE AND RESPECT FOR THE LAW, THE SENATE HAS CONFIRMED YOU THREE TIMES WITH BIPARTISAN SUPPORT, VICE CHAIR AND COMMISSIONER OF THE U.S. SENTENCING COMMISSION, JUDGE ON THE D.C. DISTRICT COURT, AND MOST RECENTLY THE D.C. CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS. IN EACH OF THESE RULES, YOU HAVE LIVED UP TO THAT BIPARTISAN SUPPORT. AS A COMMISSIONER, OVER 90% OF THE VOTES HE PARTICIPATED IN WERE EITHER UNANIMOUS OR VOICE VOTES PER YOU WROTE NEARLY 600 OPINIONS, ALLIANT -- APPLYING THE LAW CLEARLY AND IMPARTIALLY WITHOUT REGARDS TO YOUR PERSONAL VIEWS. I WILL NOTE THAT IF CONFIRMED, YOU WILL JOIN JUSTICE SOTOMAYOR AS THE ONLY OTHER JUSTICE ON THE BENCH WITH EXPERIENCE AS A TRIAL COURT JUDGE. AS A CIRCUIT COURT JUDGE, YOU HAVE WRITTEN DECISIONS JOINT BY JUDGES APPOINTED BY PRESIDENTS FROM BOTH PARTIES. LET'S NOT FORGET YOU HAVE NINE YEARS OF JUDICIAL EXPERIENCE, MORE THAN FOUR OTHER JUSTICE IS CURRENTLY ON THE COURT PRIOR TO THEIR CONFIRMATION. THAT IS WORTH COUNTING. JUDGE JACKSON, I EXPECT IT TO COME THROUGH LOUD AND CLEAR DURING THE HEARINGS, YOU HAVE THE EXPERIENCE AND RECORD OF A JURIST DEDICATED TO THE FAIR APPLICATION OF THE LAW, COMMITTED TO CONSISTS IS, DETERMINED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE COURT AND THE CONSTITUTION WORK FOR THE PEOPLE OF TODAY. ONE LAST POINT, JUDGE YOUR CONFIRMATION HEARING COMES AT A MOMENT IN OUR HISTORY WHEN THE PEOPLE OF THIS COUNTRY ARE ONCE AGAIN SEEING THIS TIME IN UKRAINE AT DEMARCUS HE CAN NEVER BE TAKEN FOR GRANTED. ETERNAL DIGITAL IS, IT HAS BEEN SAID, IS THE PRICE OF LIBERTY. LAST WEEK I WAS AT THE UKRAINIAN-POLISH BORDER WITH REFUGEES STREAMING THROUGH CHECKPOINTS, LEAVING EVERYTHING BEHIND WITH ONLY A SUITCASE AND A BACKPACK, WALKING INTO THE LOVING ARMS OF THEIR NEIGHBORS IN POLAND, A COUNTRY WITH A LONG, HARD HISTORY OF HAVING BEEN INVADED BY NAZIS AND RUSSIANS IMPRESSIONS. I WAS TOLD THERE, AT THIS MOMENT IN HISTORY, THE PEOPLE OF POLAND ARE ACHIEVING THE DREAMS THAT THEIR GRANDPARENTS COULD NEVER REALIZE, SAYING TO THEIR UKRAINIAN NEIGHBORS, WE VALUE FREEDOM AND RESPECT YOUR DEMOCRACY, WE VALUE YOU SO MUCH THAT WE WILL TAKE YOU INTO OUR HOMES AND INTO OUR HEARTS, WE WILL OPEN OUR DOORS AND NOT SHUT YOU OUT. AND THIS HORRENDOUS WAR AGAINST EVIL AND THE COURAGE OF THE UKRAINIAN PEOPLE IS HAPPENING AT THE VERY SAME TIME OUR COUNTRY IS OPENING OUR MINDS AFTER BEING SEPARATED FROM A TWO-YOUR PANDEMIC FROM NEIGHBORS, NOT ONLY AROUND THE WORLD BUT IN OUR OWN COUNTRIES, IN OUR OWN TALENTS. THIS MOMENT STOWED UPON US A NEW OPPORTUNITY TO SEE ONE ANOTHER AGAIN AND BE PART OF OUR OWN DEMOCRACY, TO RESPECT EACH OTHER'S RIGHTS, TO SEE THAT WE ARE NOT A NATION OF 300 PLUS MILLION SILOS. INSTEAD, WE ARE A NATION THAT MUST RE-EMBRACE THE SIMPLE PRINCIPLE THAT UNITES US AS AMERICANS, AND THAT IS THAT OUR COUNTRY IS SO MUCH BIGGER THAN WHAT UNITES US THEN WHAT DIVIDES US PURE THAT IS THE PIVOTAL MOMENT WE ARE IN. THAT IS YOUR MOMENT, TIME IMPORTANT TO OUR DEMOCRACY. TO THE FRAMERS, HOW THEY ENVISIONED THE COURT, TO WORK AS A BALANCE IN OUR SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT AND TO REDEDICATE OURSELVES TO THIS SACRED PROTECTION OF OUR RIGHTS AND THE UPHOLDING OF OUR CONSTITUTION. AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THESE HEARINGS MILLETT AS BE GROUNDED IN THE CENTRAL ROLE -- AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THESE HEARINGS, LET US BE GROUNDED TO THE CENTRAL ROLE OF WHAT IT MEANS IN OUR GOVERNMENT THAT WE NEVER TAKE FOR GRANTED AND HOW WE MUST ALWAYS BE VIGILANT THAT IT IS SERVING THE PEOPLE. JUDGE JACKSON, I AM CONFIDENT YOU WILL COME TO THE BENCH AS A JUSTICE WITH THE BEDROCK APPRECIATION OF WHAT THE CONSTITUTION AND THE LAW MEANS TO AMERICA WITH A REAL-WORLD PERSPECTIVE THAT WE NEED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR WILLINGNESS AT THIS IMPORTANT TIME. ...