MY COLLEAGUE SENATOR HAWLEY HAS BEEN DOING THIS ALL TO THE LEAD UP, SAYING THINGS, TWEETING THINGS, THAT A LOT OF US WHEN I WAS JUST TRY TO GET ADVICE, THIS IS WHAT THE NEW STANDARD IS GOING TO BE, THAT ANY JUDGE WHO COMES BEFORE US WHO HAS CHOSEN OUTSIDE THE SENTENCING GUIDELINES, BELOW THE SENTENCING GUIDELINES, WE ARE CRATING THE ENVIRONMENT WHERE I CAN MIKE MAKE MYSELF THE HERO PEOPLE WEB AND VICTIMS OF SOME HORRIBLE CRIME AND PUT WHATEVER JUDGE I WANT ON THE DEFENSIVE BY TRYING TO DRAG OUT THE OBITS WHEN THEY HAVE NO CONTEXT TO THE CASE--DRAG OUT LITTLE BITS WHEN THEY HAVE NO CONTEXT TO THE CASE, NONE OF THE FACTS. THEY ARE SEEKING TO EXPLOIT THE COMPLEXITIES OF A CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. THE REASON WHY WE HAVE A THIRD BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT I FEEL BAD THERE WAS A JUDGE MENTIONED BY NAME IN THIS HEARING FROM SENATOR HAWLEY'S STATE. WHAT IS THAT JUDGE GOING TO THINK NEXT TIME THEY HAVE A COMPLICATED SEXUAL ABUSE CASE THAT COMES BEFORE THEM AND THEY KNOW THAT THEY COULD POSSIBLY BE CALLED OUT IF THEY GO BELOW THE SENTENCING GUIDELINES, WHICH I SHOWED YOU YESTERDAY IN MY LACK OF CHART -- YOU REMEMBER I WAS UNCHARTED -- BUT YOU ARE DECIDING COMPLETELY IN THE NORM. 70-PLUS PERCENT IN MANY STATES PEOPLE ARE DOING JUST LIKE YOU DID. BUT I AM A DEMOCRATIC SENATOR. I HAVE NEVER QUOTED FROM THIS VERY WILL RESPECTIVE CONSERVATIVE PERIODICAL. THIS IS THE "NATIONAL REVIEW," VERY WELL-RESPECTED, NOT NECESSARILY SOMETHING I AGREE WITH ALL THE TIME. BUT HERE IS THE "NATIONAL REVIEW," "SENATOR HAWLEY'S DISINGENUOUS ATTACK AGAINST JUDGE JACKSON'S RECORD ON CHILD PORNOGRAPHY." READ THE FIRST PARAGRAPH, "I WOULD OPPOSE JUDGE KETANJI BROWN JACKSON BECAUSE OF HER JUDICIAL PHILOSOPHY FOR THE REASONS I OUTLINED LAST WEEK. I ADDRESSED THAT IN A SEPARATE POST. FOR NOW I WANT TO DISCUSS THE CLAIM BY SENATOR JOSH HAWLEY THAT JUDGE JACKSON IS APPALLINGLY SAWOFT ON CHILD PORNOGRAPHY OFFENDERS." HERE IS THE KICKER, "THE ALLEGATIONS ARE MALICIOUS TO THE POINT OF DEMAGOGUERY." I GOT LETTERS FROM LEADERS OF VICTIMS' RIGHTS GROUPS, SURVIVORS OF ASSAULT, ALL SAYING THE SAME THING AS "NATIONAL REVIEW." FEEL PROUD ABOUT YOURSELF, YOU BROUGHT TOGETHER RIGHT AND LEFT IN THIS CALLING OUT OF PEOPLE THAT WILL SIT UP HERE AND TRIED TO PULL OUT FROM CASES AND TRY TO PUT THEMSELVES IN A POSITION WHERE THEY ARE THE DEFENDERS OF OUR CHILDREN, TO A PERSON WHO HAS CHILDREN, TO A PERSON WHOSE FAMILY GOES OUT IN THE STREETS AND DEFENDS CHILDREN. I MEAN, THIS IS A NEW LOW, AND WHAT'S ESPECIALLY SURPRISING IS IT DIDN'T HAPPEN LAST YEAR. YOU WERE PUT ON A COURT THAT I'M TOLD IS CONSIDERED THE SECOND MOST POWERFUL COURT IN OUR LAND, AND YOU WERE PASSED WITH BIPARTISAN SUPPORT. NOBODY BROUGHT IT UP THEN. DID THEY NOT DO THEIR HOMEWORK? WERE THEY LAX? DO THEY MAKE A MISTAKE? I WONDER IF WHEN THEY ASK YOU THE QUESTION, "DO YOU REGRET," DO THEY REGRET THAT? IT IS AN ALLEGATION THAT IS MERITLESS TO THE POINT OF DEMAGOGUERY. YOU ARE -- I DON'T MEAN THIS IN ANY WAY -- IF SOMEBODY CALLED ME AVERAGE, I WOULD BE UPSET -- BUT YOU ARE A MAINSTREAM JUDGE. YOUR SENTENCING, I LOOKED IN THE DATA, FALLS IN THE MAINSTREAM ON EVERYTHING FROM CHILD SEXUAL ASSAULT TO ALL THE OTHER ISSUES PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO BRING UP. SOME OF THESE THINGS ARE BEING CAST AT YOU THAT YOU CALLED GEORGE W. BUSH A WAR CRIMINAL. COME ON, THAT IS PAINFUL, ESPECIALLY SINCE YOU SAID THESE ARE NAMES YOU HAVE TO PUT IN, AND WE ARE TALKING ABOUT A REAL ISSUE THAT GOES TO THE CORE OF OUR VALUES, TORTURE. BARACK OBAMA WAS NAMED ONCE BUSH LEFT OFFICE. THERE IS AN ABSURDITY TO THIS THAT IS ALMOST COMICAL, IF IT WAS NOT SO DANGEROUS. BECAUSE THE NEXT TIME A JUDGE COMES BEFORE US ON THE RIGHT OR THE LEFT THAT HAS A BODY OF WORK LIKE YOU DO, GOSH, A PERFORMANCE ARTIST ON OUR SIDE COULD PULL OUT ONE OF THE CASES WHERE THEY WERE BELOW THE SENTENCING GUIDELINES -- SAY IT WAS ON SOMETHING AS HORRIFIC AS RAPE THAT WE ALL AGREE IS HORRIFIC AND THEY COULD SAY HOW DO THEY PUT SOMEBODY WHO IS SOFT ON CRIME? ARE YOU SOFT ON CRIME? GOD BLESS AMERICA. I'VE GOT THIS TEXT -- I HAD BECOME FRIENDS WITH FOLKS FROM THE FOP WITH MY NEGOTIATIONS, AND THIS IS MY FAVORITE TEXT. KENNEDY MIGHT GET A KICK OUT OF THIS. THINGS THAT ARE OUT ACCOUNTABLE -- UNCOUNTABLE, STARS IN THE SKY, GRAINS ON THE BEACH, AND THE NUMBER OF TIMES DEMOCRATS MENTIONED THAT THE FOP ENDORSED JUDGE JACKSON IN THE HEARING. [LAUGHTER] LET ME MENTION IT AGAIN. JUST IN CASE PEOPLE WHO SAY YOU ARE ROUGH ON CRIME FOLKS REALLY WANT TO MAKE THAT STICK, YOU WERE ENDORSED BY THE LARGEST ORGANIZATION OF RANK-AND-FILE POLICE OFFICERS. YOU WERE ENDORSED BY THE BOSSES, THE LARGEST ORGANIZATION OF CHIEFS OF POLICE. AND YOU WERE ENDORSED BY NOBLE, AND I HOPE PEOPLE FIND OUT ABOUT THAT ORGANIZATION. YOU HAVE A BROTHER, NOT JUST AN OFFICER, WENT TO SERVE AFTER 9/11. YOUR FAMILY IS NOT SOFT ON TERRORISM. HE WENT OUT THERE TO CAPTURE AND KILL AND DEFEND THIS COUNTRY FROM TERRORISTS. I ACTUALLY SIT HERE AND FIND THIS ASTONISHING, BUT THEN I DO MY HOMEWORK. I LOVE THAT MY COLLEAGUE BROUGHT UP CONSTANCE BAKER MOTLEY. YOU KNOW WHEN SHE WAS GETTING TO THE FLOOR OF THE SENATE, THEY WERE TRYING TO STOP HER WITH OUTRAGEOUS ACCUSATIONS. YOU KNOW WHAT THE ACCUSATION WAS BACK THEN? SHE WAS A COMMUNIST. TRYING TO THROW ANYTHING THAT MIGHT STICK. THIS IS WHAT YOU AND I KNOW -- ANY ONE OF US SENATORS CAN YELL AS LOUD AS WE WANT THAT VENUS CAN'T RETURN TO SERVE, WE CAN YELL AS LOUD AS WE WANT THAT BEYONCE CAN'T SING, WE CAN YELL AS LOUD AS WE WANT THAT ASTRONAUT MAY JAMISON DID NOT GO THAT HIGH. YOU KNOW WHAT? THEY'VE GOT NOTHING TO PROVE. AS IT SAYS IN THE BIBLE, LET THE WORK I'VE DONE SPEAK FOR ME. WELL, YOU HAVE SPOKEN. YOU STARTED SPEAKING AS A LITTLE GIRL, WATCHING THAT MAN RIGHT THERE TRY TO RAISE A FAMILY AND STUDY LAW, WHILE YOUR MAMA SUPPORTED EVERYBODY. YOU SPOKE IN HIGH SCHOOL WHEN YOU STARTED DISTINGUISHING YOURSELF. YOU KNOW WHAT YOU SAID WHEN THEY TOLD YOU YOU COULDN'T TO HARVARD? "WATCH ME." I WENT TO LAW SCHOOL. I DIDN'T SERVE ON THE LAW REVIEW, YOU DID. I DIDN'T CLICK AT EVERY LEVEL OF THE FEDERAL COURT. YOU CLERKED FOR SUPREME COURT JUSTICE WIDELY RESPECTED ON BOTH SIDES, WHICH SHAPED YOU. YOU WENT THERE AND HE TO PRIVATE PRACTICE AND YOU KNOW WHAT YOU FOUND? THIS IS WHAT YOU TOLD ME, THAT YOU HAD THOSE TOUGH CHOICES THAT WORKING MOMS HAVE TO MAKE, THE DEMANDS OF A PRIVATE LAW FIRM, RAISING YOUR KIDS. IT DIDN'T ADD UP. YOU WENT BEFORE THE SENATE THREE TIMES IN A BIPARTISAN MANNER -- GOD BLESS AMERICA, WE DON'T DO THAT MUCH BIPARTISAN AROUND HERE. YOU BECAME A PUBLIC DEFENDER BECAUSE YOU WANTED TO UNDERSTAND ALL ASPECTS OF THE LAW. WHO DOES THAT? WE LIVE IN A SOCIETY THAT IS VERY MATERIALISTIC SOMETIMES, VERY CONSUMERISTIC. DO PEOPLE BECOME PUBLIC DEFENDERS FOR THE MONEY? NO. YOUR FAMILY AND YOU SPEAK TO SERVICE, SERVICE, SERVICE. AND I'M TELLING YOU RIGHT NOW, I'M NOT LETTING ANYBODY IN THE SENATE STEAL MY JOY. I TOLD YOU THIS AT THE BEGINNING. I AM EMBARRASSED. IT HAPPENED EARLIER TODAY. I JUST LOOK AT YOU AND I START GETTING FULL OF EMOTION. I'M JOGGING THIS MORNING, AND I MET THE END--I AM AT THE END OF THE BLOCK EITHER FONT, BECAUSE I PUT MY MUSIC ON LOUDLY WHEN I'M JOGGING TO BLOCK OUT THE NOISE OF THE HEART ATTACK I'M HAVING. THIS WOMAN COMES UP ON ME AND TACKLES ME, AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN WOMAN. THE LOOK ON HER EYES, SHE JUST WANTED TO TOUCH ME, I THINK BECAUSE I'M SITTING SO CLOSE TO YOU, AND TELL ME WHAT IT MEANT TO HER TO WATCH YOU SITTING WHERE YOU ARE SITTING. AND YOU DID NOT GET THERE BECAUSE OF SOME LEFT-WING AGENDA. YOU DIDN'T GET HERE BECAUSE OF SOME DARK MONEY GROUPS. YOU GOT HERE HOW EVERY BLACK WOMAN IN AMERICA HAS GOTTEN ANYWHERE HAS DONE, BY BEING LIKE GINGER ROGERS SAID, "I DID EVERYTHING FRED ASTAIRE DID BUT BACKWARDS IN HEELS." AND SO I AM JUST SITTING HERE SAYING NOBODY IS GOING TO MAKE ME ANGRY, ESPECIALLY NOT PEOPLE THAT ARE CALLED IN A CONSERVATIVE MAGAZINE DEMAGOGUE ISH FOR WHAT THEY ARE BRINGING UP BECAUSE IT DOESN'T HOLD WATER. I KNOW YOU AND I, WE APPRECIATE SOMETHING WE GET THAT A LOT OF MY COLLEAGUES DON'T. I KNOW TIM SCOTT DOES. WHEN I CAME TO THIS PLACE, I WAS THE FOURTH BLACK PERSON EVER POPULARLY ELECTED TO THE UNITED STATES SENATE. I STILL REMEMBER A LOT OF MIXED PEOPLE, WHITE FOLKS, BLACK FOLKS WORK HERE, BUT AT NIGHT WHEN PEOPLE COME INTO CLEAN THIS PLACE, THE PERCENTAGE OF MINORITIES SHIFTS A LOT. FIRST WEEK I'M HERE, AND SOMEBODY WHO HAS BEEN HERE FOR DECADES DOING THE URGENT WORK OF THE SENATE, THE UNGLAMOROUS WORK THAT GOES ON NO MATTER WHO THE OFFICE IS, TELLS ME, "I'M SO HAPPY YOU ARE HERE,'BUT HE CAN'T GET THE WORDS OUT, AND THIS MAN, MY ELDER, STARTS CRYING. I JUST HUGGED HIM, AND HE KEPT TELLING ME, "IT'S SO GOOD TO SEE YOU HERE. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU." I LOVE MY BROTHER TIM SCOTT. WE COULD WRITE A DISSERTATION ON OUR DISAGREEMENTS. HE GAVE THE BEST SPEECH ON RACE, I WISH I COULD'VE GIVEN THE SPEECH, BUT TALKING TO THE CHALLENGES AND INDIGNITIES STILL FACED. AND YOU ARE HERE. I WAS IN THE WHITE HOUSE WITH MY DEMOCRATIC COLLEAGUES. AGAIN, I MEAN MY JO--I AM IN MY JOY, I CAN'T HELP IT, AND THE PRESIDENT IS ASKING WHO SHOULD WE NOMINATE, AND I LOOK AT KAMALA AND WE HAVE A KNOWING GLANCE, WHICH WE HAVE HAD FOR YEARS WENT SHE AND I USED TO SIT ON THIS COMMITTEE AT TIMES. I TRIED TO GET OUT TO THE PRESIDENT WHAT IT MEANS, WHAT IT MEANS. AND I WANT TO TELL YOU, WHEN I LOOK AT YOU, THIS IS WHY I GET EMOTIONAL. I'M SORRY, YOU ARE A PERSON THAT IS SO MUCH MORE THAN YOUR RACE AND GENDER. YOU ARE A CHRISTIAN, YOU ARE A MOM, YOU ARE AN INTELLECT, YOU LOVE BOOKS. LOOK FOR ME, I'M SORRY--BUT FOR ME, I'M SORRY, IT'S HARD FOR ME TO LOOK AT YOU AND NOT SEE MY MOM, NOT SEEN MY COUSINS, ONE OF WHOM HAD TO SIT BEHIND YOU. SHE HAD TO HAVE YOUR BACK. I SEE MY ANCESTORS AND YOURS. NOBODY IS GOING TO STEAL THE JOY OF THAT WOMAN IN THE STREET OR THE CALLS I'M GETTING OR THE TEXTS. NOBODY IS GOING TO STEAL THAT JOY. YOU HAVE EARNED THIS SPOT. YOU ARE WORTHY. YOU ARE A GREAT AMERICAN. YOUR HERO IS CONSTANCE BAKER MOTLEY. MINE, SHE SAT ON MY DESK FOR THE OFFICES I HAVE HELD. SHE IS MY ICON OF AMERICA. HER NAME IS HARRIET TUBMAN. THERE IS A LOVE IN THIS COUNTRY THAT IS EXTRAORDINARY. YOU ADMITTED IT ABOUT YOUR PARENTS. THEY LOVED THIS NATION, EVEN THOUGH THERE WERE LAWS PREVENTING THEM FROM GETTING TOGETHER. THERE WERE LAWS IN THIS COUNTRY THAT WOULD'VE PREVENTED YOU FROM MARRYING YOUR HUSBAND. WASN'T THAT LONG AGO, IT WAS LAST GENERATION. BUT THEY DIDN'T STOP LOVING THIS COUNTRY, EVEN THOUGH THIS COUNTRY DIDN'T LOVE THEM BACK. WHAT WERE THE WORDS OF YOUR HEROES AND MINE? WHAT DID CONSTANCE BAKER MOTLEY DO? THE COUNTRY THAT SHE SAW INSULTED -- WHEN SHE CAME OUT OF LAW SCHOOL, LAW FIRMS WOULDN'T HIRE HER BECAUSE SHE WAS A WOMAN. DID SHE BECOME BITTER? NO, SHE USED THE CONSTITUTION OF THIS NATION, SHE LOVED IT SO MUCH, SHE WANTED AMERICA TO BE AMERICA. AS LANGSTON HUGHES WROTE, LET AMERICA BE AMERICA AGAIN, THE LAND WHERE EVERYONE MUST BE FREE. AMERICA NEVER WAS AMERICA TO MEET, BUT I SWEAR THIS OATH, AMERICA WILL BE. THAT IS THE STORY OF HOW YOU GOT TO THIS TASK, YOU AND I AND EVERYONE HERE, GENERATIONS OF FOLKS CAME HERE AND SAID, AMERICA, I'M IRISH, NO DOGS NEED APPLY, BUT I'M GOING TO SHOW THIS COUNTRY THAT I CAN BE FOR HERE, I CAN MAKE THIS COUNTRY LOVE ME AS MUCH AS I LOVE IT. CHINESE-AMERICANS FORCED INTO SLAVE LABOR, BUILDING A RAILROAD, CONNECTING OUR COUNTRY , SAW THE UGLIEST OF AMERICA BUT WERE GOING TO BUILD THEIR HOME HERE. AMERICA, YOU MAY NOT LOVE ME YET. I WILL MAKE THIS NATION LIVE UP TO ITS PROMISE OF HOPE. LGBTQ AMERICANS FROM STONEWALL TO SENECA, HIDDEN FIGURES WHO DID NOT EVEN GET THERE PLAY UNTIL A HOLLYWOOD MOVIE TALK ABOUT THEM AND HOW CRITICAL THEY WERE FOR US TO DEFY GRAVITY. ALL OF THESE PEOPLE LOVED AMERICA. YOU FACED INSULTS HERE THAT WERE SHOCKING TO ME. WELL, ACTUALLY NOT SHOCKING. BUT YOU ARE HERE BECAUSE OF THAT KIND OF LOVE. AND NOBODY IS TAKING THIS AWAY FROM YOU. SO YOU'VE GOT FIVE MORE FOLKS TO GO THROUGH. FIVE MORE OF US. AND THEN YOU CAN SIT BACK AND LET US HAVE ALL THE DEBATES. I'M GOING TO TELL YOU, IT IS GOING TO BE A WELL-CHARTED SENATE FLOOR, BECAUSE IT IS NOT GOING TO STOP. THEY ARE GOING TO ACCUSE YOU OF THIS AND THAT. IN HONOR OF THE PERSON WHO SHARES YOUR BIRTHDAY, YOU MIGHT BE CALLED A COMMUNIST. BUT DON'T WORRY, MY SISTER. DON'T WORRY. GOD HAS GOTTEN YOU. HOW DO I KNOW THAT? BECAUSE YOU ARE HERE. AND I KNOW WHAT IT HAS TAKEN FOR YOU TO SIT IN THAT SEAT. HARRIET TUBMAN IS ONE OF MY HEROES BECAUSE THE MORE I READ ABOUT THIS PERSON, SHE WAS VICIOUSLY BEATEN. CRACKED SKULL. SHE FACED STARVATION, CHASED BY DOGS. AND WHEN SHE GOT TO FREEDOM, WHAT DID SHE DO? DID YOU REST?- - - DID SHE REST? NO, SHE WENT BACK, AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN. THE SKY WAS FULL OF STARS, BUT SHE FOUND THE ONE THAT WAS A HARBINGER FULL OF HOPE, FOR BETTER DAYS NOT JUST FOR HER AND THOSE PEOPLE WHO WERE ENSLAVED, BUT A HARBINGER OF HOPE FOR THIS COUNTRY. SHE NEVER GAVE UP ON AMERICA. LED TROOPS IN THE CIVIL WAR. SHE WAS INVOLVED IN THE SUFFRAGE MOVEMENT. AND AS I CAME BACK FROM MY RUN, AFTER BEING NEAR-ASSAULTED BY SOMEONE ON THE STREET, I THOUGHT ABOUT HER AND HOW SHE LOOKED UP, SHE KEPT LOOKING UP. NO MATTER WHAT THEY DID TO HER, SHE NEVER STOPPED LOOKING UP. AND THAT STAR, IT WAS A HARBINGER OF HOPE. TODAY YOU ARE MY STAR. YOU ARE MY HARBINGER OF HOPE. THIS COUNTRY GETS BETTER AND BETTER AND BETTER. WHEN THAT FINAL VOTE HAPPENS, AND YOU ASCEND ONTO THE HIGHEST COURT IN THE LAND, I'M GOING TO REJOICE, AND I'M GOING TO TELL YOU RIGHT NOW, THE GREATEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD, THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, WILL BE BETTER BECAUSE OF YOU. THANK YOU. ...