I AM SAVING A SPECIAL MOMENT IN THIS INTRODUCTION FOR MY DAUGHTERS, TALIA AND LAYLA. GIRLS, I KNOW IT HAS BEEN CHALLENGING AS I HAVE JUGGLED MY CAREER AND MOTHERHOOD. I KNOW I HAVE NOT ALWAYS GET THE BALANCE RIGHT. I HOPE THAT YOU SEE WITH HARD WORK, DETERMINATION AND LOVE, IT CAN BE DONE. I AM SO LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING WHAT EACH OF YOU CHOOSES TO DO WITH YOUR AMAZING LIVES IN THIS INCREDIBLE COUNTRY. I LOVE YOU SO MUCH. THERE ARE SO MANY OTHERS WHO ARE NOT HERE TODAY BUT I NEED TO ACKNOWLEDGE. I HAVE A LARGE EXTENDED FAMILY ON BOTH SIDES THAT ARE WATCHING FROM FLORIDA, NORTH CAROLINA, NEW JERSEY, CONNECTICUT, NEW YORK, MASSACHUSETTS, COLORADO AND BEYOND. I ALSO HAVE INCREDIBLE FRIENDS. THREE OF MY COLLEGE ROOMMATES CAME HERE TODAY TO SUPPORT ME AND I HAVE SO MANY OTHER BOOSTERS FROM ALL THROUGHOUT MY PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL LIFE. I HAVE ALSO HAD EXTRAORDINARY MENTORS, LIKE MY HIGH SCHOOL DEBATE COACH, MAY SHE REST IN PEACE. SHE INVESTED FULLY IN ME, INCLUDING TAKING ME TO HARVARD. THE FIRST I HAD EVER THOUGHT OF IT, TO ENTER ME INTO A SPEECH. IN THE CATEGORY OF GREAT MENTORS, IT WAS ALSO MY GREAT, GOOD FORTUNE TO HAVE THE CHANCE TO HAVE U.S. DISTRICT JUDGE, APPEALS JUDGE AND SUPREME COURT JUSTICE SUSAN BREYER. AT EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE WERE EXCEPTIONAL ROLE MODELS. JUSTICE BREYER NOT ONLY GAVE ME THE GREATEST JOB THAT ANY LAW -- ANY YOUNG LAWYER COULD HOPE TO HAVE, BUT HE ALSO EXEMPLIFIES WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A SUPREME COURT JUSTICE OF THE HIGHEST JUDGE OF THE SKILL, INTEGRITY AND GRACE. IT IS EXTREMELY HUMBLING TO BE CONSIDERED FOR JUSTICE BREYER SEATS. I KNOW I COULD NEVER FILL HIS SHOES, BUT IF CONFIRMED, I WOULD HOPE TO CARRY ON HIS SPIRIT. ON THE DAY OF HIS SUPREME COURT NOMINATION, JUSTICE BREYER SAID, "WHAT IS LAW SUPPOSED TO DO, SEEN AS A WHOLE? IT IS SUPPOSED TO ALLOW ALL PEOPLE TO LIVE TOGETHER IN A SOCIETY WHERE THEY HAVE SO MANY DIFFERENT VIEWS, SO MANY DIFFERENT NEEDS TO LIVE TOGETHER IN A WAY THAT IS MORE HARMONIOUS , THAT IS BETTER. SO THAT THEY CAN WORK PRODUCTIVELY TOGETHER I COULD NOT HAVE SAID IT BETTER MYSELF. MEMBERS OF THIS COMMITTEE, IF I AM CONFIRMED, I COMMIT TO YOU THAT I WILL WORK PRODUCTIVELY TO SUPPORT AND DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION IN THIS GRAND EXPERIENCE OF AMERICAN DEMOCRACY THAT HAS ENDURED THESE PAST 246 YEARS. I HAVE BEEN A JUDGE FOR NEARLY A DECADE NOW AND I TAKE THAT RESPONSIBILITY AND MY DUTY TO BE INDEPENDENT, VERY SERIOUSLY. I DECIDE CASES FROM A NEUTRAL POSTURE -- A NEUTRAL POSTURE. I INTERPRET AND APPLY THE LAW WITH THE CASE BEFORE ME WITHOUT FEAR OR FAVOR, CONSISTENT WITH MY JUDICIAL OWES. I KNOW THAT MY ROLE AS A JUDGE IS A LIMITED ONE. BUT THE CONSTITUTION EMPOWERS ME ONLY TO DECIDE CASES THAT ARE PROBABLY PRESENTED. MY JUDICIAL ROLE IS FURTHER CONSTRAINED BY CAREFUL ADHERENCE TO PRECEDENT. IN PREPARING FOR THESE HEARINGS, YOU MAY HAVE READ SOME OF MY MORE THAN 570 WRITTEN DECISIONS AND YOU MAY HAVE ALSO NOTICED MY OPINIONS TEND TO BE ON THE LONG SIDE. THAT IS BECAUSE I ALSO BELIEVE IN TRANSPARENCY. THAT PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW PRECISELY WHAT I THINK AND THE BASIS FOR MY DECISION. ALL OF MY PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCES, INCLUDING MY WORK AS A PUBLIC DEFENDER AND A TRIAL JUDGE HAVE INSTILLED IN ME THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING EACH LITIGANT NO THAT THE JUDGE IN THEIR CASE HAS HEARD THEM, WHETHER OR NOT THEIR ARGUMENTS PREVAIL IN COURT. DURING THIS HEARING, I HOPE THAT YOU WILL SEE HOW MUCH I LOVE OUR COUNTRY. AND THE CONSTITUTION AND THE RIGHTS THAT MAKE US FREE. I STAND ON THE SHOULDERS OF SO MANY WHO HAVE COME BEFORE ME. INCLUDING JUDGE CONSTANCE, BAKER MOTLEY, THE FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN WOMAN TO BE APPOINTED TO THE BENCH. AND WITH WHOM I SHARE A BIRTHDAY. I HAVE DEDICATED MY CAREER TO ENSURE THE WORDS ENGRAVED ON THE FRONT OF THE SUPREME COURT BUILDING EQUAL JUSTICE UNDER LAW. AND NOT JUST AN IDEAL. THANK YOU FOR THIS HISTORIC CHANCE TO JOIN THE HIGHEST COURT. TO WORK WITH BRILLIANT COLLEAGUES, TO INSPIRE FUTURE GENERATIONS AND TO ENSURE LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. 