IN PREPARING FOR THIS CONFIRMATION, I WENT BACK AND READ A LECTURE YOU GAVE THAT WAS LATER PUBLISHED IN HARVARD LAW REVIEW ABOUT THE CHALLENGE OF SENTENCING. I HAVE THE JOY OF CLERKING FOR A JUDGE ON THE THIRD CIRCUIT. MY LEGAL SKILLS AND TALENTS DIDN'T ALLOW ME TO CLERK FOR THE SUPREME COURT AS YOU DID, AND ALSO THE DISTRICT AND SUPREME COURT. I CLERKED FOR A JUDGE WHO WAS IMPOSING SANCTIONS ON SOMEONE WHO WAS A CRACK DEALER. SHE DID A REMARKABLE JOB OF SPEAKING TO THE VICTIMS, SPEAKING TO THE COMMUNITY, SPEAKING TO THE PROSECUTOR AND DEFENSE ATTORNEY AND SPEAKING DIRECTLY TO THE DEFENDANT AND IMPOSING A VERY LONG SENTENCE. AS I GOT TO KNOW HER LATER, I RECOGNIZED AS A MEMBER OF OUR COMMUNITY AND SOMEONE WHO SAW THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT PUBLIC MOMENT OF HELPING THE DEFENDANT UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY HAD DONE SO THEY MIGHT SOMEHOW CHANGE BUT ALSO HELPING THE VICTIMS UNDERSTAND WHAT HAPPENED, AND THE HARVARD LAW REVIEW YOU SAY "YOU VIEW PUNISHMENT. THERE IS A NEED TO ENSURE DEFENDANT IS ADAMANTLY ADDRESSED AND PUNISHED. WHAT YOU HAVE SHOWN ACROSS THE ARK OF YOUR PUBLIC SERVICE REVEALS A SOMEONE WHO UNDERSTANDS THE APPROPRIATE NEED FOR PUNISHMENT IN OUR SOCIETY BUT WAS ALSO STRIVING TO FOLLOW THE BALANCE, RECOMMENDATIONS AND GUIDELINES OF THE FACTS. I TRUST THAT MEMBERS OF THIS COMMITTEE AND AS A WHOLE, THE GENERAL PUBLIC TAKES THE TIME TO GIVE A FAIR READING TO THE WHOLE SCOPE. THAT THEY WOULD SEE YOU AS SOMEONE WHO CARES DEEPLY ABOUT OUR CONSTITUTION. YOUR THOUGHT ROLE -- YOUR THOUGHTFUL RESPONSE TO QUESTIONS POSED TO YOU IMPRESS ME. I DON'T THINK LABELS SUCH AS A JUDICIAL PHILOSOPHY ARE ALWAYS NEEDED. IN YOUR CASE, A DEEP ADMIRATION FOR THE CONSTITUTION AND AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE ROLE OF A JUDGE IS A LIMITED ONE OUR CRITICAL IN QUALIFYING. YOU OPEN YESTERDAY BY REFERENCING HOW YOUR PARENTS WERE EDUCATED AND RACIALLY SEGREGATED SCHOOLS IN FLORIDA BUT HOW YOU, JUST ONE GENERATION LATER, OR WORRIES -- WERE RAISED IN INTEGRATED SCHOOLS AND WERE ABLE TO PUT YOUR TALENT TO WORK IN OUR NATION. YOU CITED THIS ONE GENERATION CHANGE OF THE GREATNESS OF AMERICA. THE SUPREME COURT PLAYED A CENTRAL ROLE IN APPLYING IT TO ALLOW THIS TO OCCUR. THE EXPERIENCES OF YOUR OWN FAMILY, YOUR CONNECTION TO THESE BEARINGS OF TRAILBLAZERS WHO CAME BEFORE YOU HAS MEANINGFULLY SHAPED WHAT KIND OF A JUSTICE YOU WILL BE. AS SOMEBODY WHO HAS SERVED ON THE SENTENCING COMMISSION, YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO SEE ACROSS THE WHOLE SCOPE AND SEE HOW THE LAW IMPACTS FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES IN OUR NATION. AS A JUDGE, YOU HAVE HUMILITY. SCORES OF OTHERS I HAVE REFERENCED HAVE APPLAUDED YOUR --. RESTRAINT IS A CORE PART OF YOUR APPROACH TO DECISION-MAKING PARTLY BECAUSE YOU ARE A JUDGE WHO IS HUMBLE TO KNOW CONGRESS IS WITH THE LOW -- THE LAW IS AN CONGRESS HAS A LIMITED ROLE BASED ON FACT. YOUR DEAR FRIEND EXPLAINED SINCE COLLEGE AT HARVARD AND YOU HAVE BEEN A ROLE MODEL. SHE PRAISED YOUR WARMTH TO FRIENDS AND FAMILY BUT SHE PRAISED YOUR HUMILITY. SHE KNEW YOU WERE HONORED AND HUMBLED BY THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS. I HAD A CHANCE TO TALK TO YOUR BROTHER AND HE MENTIONED HE KNEW YOU WERE DESTINED FOR THIS MOMENT YOUR WHOLE LIFE. I AM SURE HE WOULD SAY YOU HAVE BEEN EXCEPTIONAL SINCE YOU WERE STUDENT BODY PRESIDENT AT PALMETTO HIGH SCHOOL. I SUSPECT YOUR WONDERFUL FAMILY UPBRINGING IS PARTLY RESPONSE WILL FOR YOUR FACET OF CHARACTER. I SUSPECT YOUR FAITH HAS PLAYED A ROLE OF SUSTAINING YOU AS MINE DOES AND MANY OTHERS IN THIS ROOM. I HAVE OFTEN FOUND INSTRUCTION AND COMFORT IN WHAT THE LORD REQUIRES YOU AND DO JUSTICE AND WALK HUMBLY. I AM NOT GOING TO ASK YOU TO REFLECT ON THAT VERSE BUT I WOULDN'T BE SURPRISED IF IT IS ONE OF YOUR FAVORITES THAT SUSTAINS YOU. RETURNING TO WHAT JUDGE GRIFFITH SAID WHEN HE TOLD US IN HIS HEARTFELT INTRODUCTION OF YOU ON MONDAY, AND SOMETHING YOU HAVE SHOWN IN THE HOURS YOU HAVE BEEN GRILLED BY THIS BODY, HE HAD ALREADY WRITTEN A LETTER TO THIS COMMITTEE DELIVERING HIS ENDORSEMENT. HE TOOK THE EXTRA STEP TO AMPLIFY IN PERSON. HE DID SO BECAUSE OF CONFIDENCE IN YOU AND A MESSAGE TO US IN THE COMMITTEE THAT SUPREME COURT CONFIRMATION SHOULD BE MORE THAN EXERCISES AND BIPARTISAN TRIBALISM. HE'S SAID A JUDGE WHO HAPPENS TO BE APPOINTED BY A REPUBLICAN PRESIDENT -- A NOMINEE WHOSE LEGAL OPINIONS HE WAS IN POSITION TO REVIEW FOR YEARS, GIVEN THAT YOU WERE A DISTRICT COURT JUDGE AND HE WAS A CIRCUIT JUDGE. CONFIRMATION HEARINGS EVOLVING OVER MANY YEARS INTO LONGER AND LONGER EXERCISES, POLITICS BY JUST BRIEF GLIMPSES AND OCCASIONAL THOUGHTFUL EXAMINATIONS AND DECISION-MAKING VIEWS SHOULD BE OUR MAIN FOCUS. I HAVE TO BELIEVE THIS SAD STATE OF AFFAIRS TROUBLES MY COLLEAGUES ON BOTH SIDES BUT AS I REFLECT IN THESE HEARINGS, I HOPE THAT YOUR GRACIOUS, THOUGHTFUL EXCHANGES WITH SOME MEMBERS WILL BE REMEMBERED AS JUST ONE MORE SERVICE YOU HAVE RENDERED TO OUR NATION. I HOPE SOME WATCHING THESE HEARINGS WILL BE REMINDED THAT EVEN THOUGH WE DISAGREE WITH THE POLICY PREFERENCES OR OPINIONS OF A NOMINEE, WE SHOULD ALL RECOGNIZE WHEN A NOMINEE IS FUNDAMENTALLY QUALIFIED, DEEPLY COMMITTED TO THE CONSTITUTIONAL ROLE OF LAW AND GREAT CHARACTER. JUDGE GRIFFITH REMINDED US AT THE ONSET OF THIS WEEK, "AS JUSTICE SCALIA TAUGHT US A DISPENSABLE FEATURE THE PUBLIC CREATED IS AN INDEPENDENT GROUP OF JUDGES WHO TAKE AN OLD NOT JUST THEIR PARTY BUT TO GOD AND THE PEOPLE THAT THEY WILL BE IMPARTIAL, I COULDN'T AGREE MORE WITH JUDGE GRIFFITH. IT WOULD BE MY HONOR TO SUPPORT YOUR CONFIRMATION FOR JUSTICE. WITH THAT, MR. CHAIR, I YIELD. ...