I COME HERE TODAY AS A RETIRED FEDERAL APPEARS COURT JUDGE WITH 15 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE ON THE U.S. COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE D.C. CIRCUIT. I COME AS A JURIST APPOINTED BY GEORGE W. BUSH. I COME HERE AS SOMEONE WHO UNDERSTANDS THAT THERE ARE FEW GREATER RESPONSIBILITIES UNDER THE CONSTITUTION THEN SERVING AS A JUSTICE ON THE SUPREME COURT. IT TAKES A JURIST OF HIGH CHARACTER, KEEN INTELLECT, DEEP LEGAL KNOWLEDGE, AND BROAD EXPERIENCE TO ENSURE THAT THE JUDICIARY PLACED ITS UNIQUE ROLE , TO UPHOLD THE RULE OF LAW IMPARTIALLY AND NOT TO BE "PARS TISANS IN ROBES." I HAVE THE HIGH HONOR TO INTRODUCE JUDGE KETANJI BROWN JACKSON, A JURIST WHO HAS ALL THOSE QUALITIES. WHEN PRESIDENT BIDEN INTRODUCED HER, THE AMERICAN PEOPLE GOT THEIR FIRST GLIMPSE OF JUDGE JACKSON'S CHARACTER. SHE BEGAN HER REMARKS WITH AN EXPRESSION OF HER FAITH IN GOD AND HER GRATITUDE FOR THIS NATION, WHICH SHE RIGHTLY OBSERVED IS THE GREATEST BEACON OF HOPE AND DEMOCRACY THE WORLD HAS EVER KNOWN. I FIRST MET JUDGE JACKSON IN 2013 AFTER THE SENATE HAS CONFIRMED HER AS TRIAL JUDGE. TWO YEARS LATER, SHE JOINED THE D.C. CIRCUIT JUDGE IS APPELLATE JUDGE. I HAVE HAD MANY DUTIES TO OBSERVE HER WORK OVER THE YEARS. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, I REVIEWED HER DECISIONS ON APPEAL. ALTHOUGH WE DID NOT ALWAYS AGREE ON THE OUTCOME OF THE LOT REQUIRED, I RESPECTED HER DILIGENT AND CAREFUL APPROACH, HER DEEP UNDERSTANDING, AND COLLEGIAL MANNER -- INDISPENSABLE TRAITS FOR A JUSTICE. ABOUT HER COLLEGIAL MANNER, THAT TEACHER IS OFTEN OVERLOOKED. -- THAT FEATURE IS OFTEN OVERLOOKED. ALTHOUGH APPOINTED BY A DIFFERENT, JUSTICES HAVE GENUINE FONDNESS FOR ONE ANOTHER. THE CIVIL MANNER IN WHICH JUSTICES DEBATE THE LARGE, SEXY ISSUES BEFORE THEM IS -- VEXING ISSUES BEFORE THEM IS VITAL. THE CONSTITUTION REQUIRES THAT OF ALL OF US. STABILITY OF DEBATE AND RESPECT FOR THE VIEWS OF OTHERS ARE LACKING FROM OUR PUBLIC LIFE. JUDGE JACKSON'S LIFE HAS MODELED THESE QUALITIES. JUDGE JACKSON IS INDEPENDENT AND ADJUDICATES BASED ON THE FACTS AND THE LAW AND NOT AS A PARTISAN. TIME AND AGAIN, SHE HAS DEMONSTRATED THAT IMPARTIALITY, SOMETIMES RULING IN FAVOR OF THE GOVERNMENT, SOMETIMES AGAINST. HER ROOM IS SIMPLE -- FOLLOW THE LAW. I FIND IT NOTEWORTHY THAT A FORMER JUDGE APPOINTED BY A REPUBLICAN PRESIDENT WOULD ENTHUSIASTICALLY ENDORSE A NOMINATION TO THE SUPREME COURT BY A DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENT. THAT REACTION IS A MEMBER OF THE DANGEROUS HYPER PARTISANSHIP THAT HAS SEEPED INTO EVERY NOOK AND COMING OF OUR LIVES AND AGAINST WHICH THE FRAMERS OF THE CONSTITUTION MORE US. THERE SHOULD BE NOTHING UNUSUAL ABOUT MY SUPPORT OF A HIGHLY QUALIFIED NOMINEE. MY FORMER COLLEAGUES IN THE FEDERAL JUDICIARY, MICHAEL CHERNOFF, DAVID LEAVY, ANDREW ELFORD, ALL HIGHLY RESPECTED JUDICIAL CONSERVATIVES HAVE VOICED THEIR STRONG SUPPORT FOR JUDGE JACKSON. THERE WAS A TIME WHEN BIPARTISAN SUPPORT OF A HIGHLY QUALIFIED JURIST WAS OF REGULAR ORDER. ANTONIN SCALIA WAS CONFIRMED 98-0, RUTH BADER GINSBURG BY 96 -3. THE RULE OF A IS A FRAGILE POSSIBILITY IN THE BEST OF TIMES. TODAY, IT IS LITERALLY UNDER ATTACK IN UKRAINE AND THREATENED AROUND THE WORLD AND IN OUR OWN COUNTRY BY AUTOCRATS AND THEIR SYMPATHIZERS WHO GIVE LIP SERVICE TO THE RULE OF LAW BUT WORKING TO UNDERMINE IT. AS JUSTICE SCALIA TAUGHT US, THE INDISPENSABLE FEATURE OF THE REPUBLIC THE CONSTITUTION CREATED IS AN INDEPENDENT JUDICIARY OF JUDGES WHO HAVE TAKEN AN OATH NOT TO A PRESIDENT OR A PARTY BUT TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE AND TO GOD THAT THEY WILL BE IMPARTIAL. JUDGE KETANJI BRACK -- KETANJI JACKSON BROWN HAS DEMONSTRATED HER UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO THAT OATH. I APPLAUD THIS NOMINATION WHICH ENCOURAGE THE SENATE TO CONFIRM. 