THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. CONGRATULATIONS ON HER NOMINATION TO OUR NATION'S HIGHEST COURT. YOU ARE AN IMPRESSIVE JURIST. THE PUBLIC SEES THAT. I ENJOY THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET YOUR FAMILY YESTERDAY. I THOUGHT BEFORE I WOULD BEGIN MY QUESTIONS, I WOULD RESPOND TO SOMETHING THE JUNIOR SENATOR FROM TEXAS SUGGESTED. HE SUGGESTED DEMOCRATS EXACTED A POLITICAL AGENDA BY OPPOSING THE NOMINATION OF JUDGE GORSUCH TO THE SUPREME COURT. ALONG WITH OTHERS, REPEATEDLY AND CLEARLY, STATED SUBSTANTIVE CONCERNS WITH JUSTICE GORSUCH'S NOMINATION. I EXPLAINED MY VOTES ON THE RECORD. THERE WAS NO POLITICAL AGENDA. I CONTRAST THAT WITH REPUBLICANS' TREATMENT OF MERRICK GARLAND. WE'RE STILL WAITING TODAY FOR REPUBLICANS TO EXPLAIN, THAT THEY BLOCKED HIM FOR OVER A YEAR AND WOULD NOT EVEN ALLOW A VOTE ON HIS NOMINATION. APPARENTLY, BECAUSE OF A POLITICALLY DRIVEN AGENDA. ALL I'M SAYING IS LET'S MAKE HISTORY THIS WEEK, BUT LET'S NOT REWRITE IT. THIS IS AN HISTORICAL TIME. , ONE OF THE TOPICS WE DISCUSSED IN OUR MEETING WAS OUR RESPECTIVE EXPERIENCES. YOU AS A FORMER FEDERAL PUBLIC DEFENDER, MYSELF AS A PROSECUTOR. AS A FEDERAL PUBLIC DEFENDER IN WASHINGTON YOU ARE ASSIGNED TO AND REPRESENTING CLIENTS WHO COULD NOT OTHERWISE AFFORD A LAWYER. ONE OF THE VALUABLE LESSONS I LEARNED AS A PROSECUTOR WAS THIS -- FOR A CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM TO FUNCTION PROPERLY YOU HAVE TO HAVE SKILLED, DEDICATED LAWYERS ON BOTH SIDES, BOTH THE PROSECUTOR AND DEFENSE ATTORNEY. IT IS EQUALLY ESSENTIAL FOR JUDGES TO HAVE A NUANCED AND BALANCED UNDERSTANDING OF OUR CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM IF WE ARE GOING TO HAVE JUSTICE DONE. IT IS CONCERNING. IT IS CONFUSING TO SOME WHO VIEW YOUR BACKGROUND AS A DEFENDER SOME KIND OF A LIABILITY. THOSE OF US WHO SPEND TIME IN COURT ROOMS KNOW YOU HAVE TO HAVE BOTH SKILLED PROSECUTORS AND DEFENDERS. I DON'T THINK OF IT AS A LIABILITY. I THINK IT WILL BE A MAJOR ASSET TO YOU. I THINK IT SHOULD BE WELCOME ON THE SUPREME COURT. IF YOU ARE CONFIRMED TO THE COURT, YOU WILL BE THE FIRST FORMER FEDERAL PUBLIC DEFENDER ON THE COURT. YOU WILL BE THE FIRST NOMINEE SINCE JUSTICE THURGOOD MARSHALL WITH A SIGNIFICANT BACKGROUND IN CRIMINAL DEFENSE. THAT IS PRETTY IMPRESSIVE. SO ALL OF US SHOULD WANT THAT IN A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE SUPREME COURT. DECISIONS ON THE SUPREME COURT CAN HAVE A LASTING IMPACT ON OUR CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. MY QUESTION IS THIS. I BELIEVE YOUR EXPERIENCE AS A FEDERAL PUBLIC DEFENDER HAS MADE YOU A BETTER JUDGE, MAINTAINING IMPARTIAL PERSPECTIVES IN CRIMINAL AND OTHER CASES. I ASSUME YOU WOULD AGREE WITH THAT.