THIS IS A MOMENT YOU HAVE MUCH TO BE PROUD OF. I KNOW YOU HAVE FAMILY MEMBERS AND FRIENDS, WE ALL LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING THOSE INTRODUCTIONS LATER. I WANT TO NOTE I AM SORRY JUDGE CLARENCE THOMAS WAS HOSPITALIZED YESTERDAY. I SPEAK FOR ALL THOSE OF THE COMMITTEE THAT WE WISH FOR HIS SPEEDY RECOVERY. I WANT TO GO OVER THE GROUND RULES FOR THE HEARING. THE COMMITTEE HAS 10 MINUTES TO MAKE AN OPENING STATEMENT. WE WILL GO SWITCHING BETWEEN DEMOCRATIC AND REPUBLICAN SENATORS. ONCE THEY HAVE MADE THEIR OPENING STATEMENTS, WE WILL HEAR FROM JUDGE THOMAS GRIFFITH, PROFESSOR LISA FAIRFAX WHO IS HERE TODAY TO INTRODUCE JUDGE JACKSON. EACH MEMBER WILL HAVE FIVE MINUTES TO MAKE AN OPENING STATEMENT. FINALLY JUDGE JACKSON WILL CONCLUDE TODAY'S EVENTS. TOMORROW WE WILL BEGIN AGAIN. FOR THOSE SITTING IN THE AUDIENCE, WELCOME TO BE HERE TO WITNESS THIS SPECIAL OCCASION. I ASKED TO BE RESPECTFUL AND QUIET DURING THE HEARING. DO NOT STAND UP UNLESS YOU ARE ENTERING OR EXITING THE ROOM. WE ASK OUR DISTINGUISHED MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL TO SIT DOWN, IF YOU REFUSE, YOU WILL BE EXPORTED OUT. ANY DISRUPTION WILL RESULT IN IMMEDIATE REMOVAL. I ASK OUR AUDIENCE MEMBERS TO BE RESPECTFUL OF THE CABINET. WE ARE HERE TO ENSURE EVERYONE'S SAFETY. WITH THAT, OPENING STATEMENTS. JUDGE JACKSON, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY WITH YOUR FAMILY. THE SUPREME COURT HAS A LONG AND STORIED HISTORY HAVING BEEN FILLED BY MANY SUPERB JUSTICES IN THIS COUNTRY. BUT THE REALITY IS THE COURT'S MEMBERS HAVE NEVER REALLY REFLECTED THE NATION THEY SERVE. WHEN THE SUPREME COURT MET FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME IN 1790 IN THE EXCHANGE BUILDING, THERE WERE NEARLY 700,000 SLAVES WITHOUT CITIZENSHIP IN THIS NEW NATION OF NEARLY 4 MILLION. NEITHER AFRICAN-AMERICANS NOR WOMEN HAVE THE RIGHT TO VOTE. THERE WAS NO EQUAL JUSTICE FOR A MAJORITY OF PEOPLE LIVING IN AMERICA. FOR MORE THAN 230 YEARS, THE SUPREME COURT HASN'T HAD A LOT OF JUSTICES. 108 HAVE BEEN WHITE MEN. TWO JUSTICES HAVE BEEN MEN OF COLOR AND HAVE SERVED ON THE COURT. AND ONE WOMAN OF COLOR. YOU, JUDGE JACKSON CAN BE THE FIRST. IT IS NOT EASY BEING THE FIRST. YOU HAVE TO BE THE BEST, AND IN SOME WAYS, THE GREATEST. IF YOU ARE NOT PREPARED TO FACE THAT KIND OF HEAT, THAT KIND OF SCRUTINY IN THE NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT, BUT YOUR PRESENCE TODAY TO BRAVE THIS PROCESS GIVES INSPIRATION TO THOSE WHO SEE THEMSELVES IN YOU. ON THE STEPS THIS MORNING OF THE SUPREME COURT TO SEE THE RALLY, THERE WERE SO MANY YOUNG, AFRICAN-AMERICAN WOMEN THERE SEEING YOUR PURSUIT. IN OTHER IMPORTANT WAYS, NOMINEES HAVE COME BEFORE US. PRESIDENT BIDEN, BECAUSE HE KNEW YOUR QUALIFICATIONS WERE OUTSTANDING. YOU HAVE BEEN CONFIRMED -- WITH BIPARTISAN SUPPORT. THE CONSTITUTION IS FOR AMERICANS, NOT JUST THE WEALTHY AND POWERFUL. AND THE JUDICIARY. TODAY IS A PROUD DAY FOR AMERICA. WE KNOW THAT WE STILL WANT TO FORM A MORE PERFECT UNION. IT IS SOMETHING THIS A MOMENT WILL ALSO BARACK OBAMA, SAID WHILE WE CANNOT WITH THE LATE JUSTICE JOHN PAUL STEVENS, PRESIDENT OBAMA SAID, WHILE WE CANNOT REPLACE WISDOM, I WILL SEEK SOMEONE WHO IS SIMILAR. AN INDEPENDENT MIND, A RECORD OF EXCELLENCE, INTEGRITY TO THE RULE OF LAW, AND A KEEN UNDERSTANDING OF THE DAILY LIVES OF AMERICA. MUCH LIKE JUSTICE STEPHEN YOU , CANNOT REPLACE JUSTICE BREYER, BUT IN YOU, WE HAVE A NOMINEE WHO EMBODIES THE SAME QUALITIES. YOUR INDEPENDENT-MINDED AND UNDERSTAND THE CRITICAL IN THE PART -- CRITICAL IMPORTANCE OF -- CRITICAL IMPORTANCE. YOUR RECORD OF INTEGRITY, FROM THE CHAMPIONSHIP DEBATE TEAM, FROM SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL, TO HARVARD, TO YOUR THREE JUDICIAL CLERKSHIPS, YOUR WORK AS A DEFENDER A LAWYER IN PRIVATE PRACTICE, A FEDERAL DISTRICT JUDGE AND CIRCUIT COURT JUDGE. THROUGHOUT YOUR CAREER YOU HAVE BEEN A CHAMPION FOR THE RULE OF LAW, EVEN AT THE RISK OF PUBLIC CRITICISM. A BIPARTISAN GROUP, WHICH IS REFLECTIVE OF THE AMERICAN THINKING ON ENFORCEMENT, YOU SET UP WITH TRULY CONGRESSIONAL INTENT WHEN IT CAME TO CRIMINAL SENTENCING FAIR, AND YOU DID IT BY FINDING COMMON GROUND. DURING THE 10 YEAR COMMISSION, 85% OF THE COMMISSION'S VOTES WERE UNANIMOUS. FOR EXAMPLE, THE COMMISSION IMPLEMENTED -- IMPLEMENTS THE ACT, REDUCED THE 100 TO ONE CITIZEN DISPARITY, AND YOU JOINED EVERY ONE OF YOUR COLLEAGUES TO MAKE THAT CHANGE TO THE SENTENCING GUIDELINES ONCE ELECTED. YOU BRING A POWERFUL SPEECH, AND I AM GOING TO QUOTE IT, YOU SAID THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR THE DISCREDITED GUIDELINE. YOU MUST CARRY ON AS IF NONE OF THIS HAS HAPPENED. THE FAVOR OF THIS ACTIVITY IS THE COMMISSION, REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS SHARE YOUR VIEW. YOU HAVE GONE TO GREAT LENGTHS TO EXPLAIN HOW THE LAW AFFECTS REAL PEOPLE. INDEED WITH YOUR NOMINATION, WE CAN BECOME A, THAT THE COURT AND ITS ROLE AND ITS DECISIONS WILL BE MORE UNDERSTANDABLE TO THE AMERICAN PUBLIC. IN THE TIME EXPLAINING DECISIONS AND THE CONSEQUENCES, AND JUST LAST YEAR, FOR THE D.C. CIRCUIT HEARING, YOU DESCRIBED HOW YOU TAKE EXTRA CARE IN THE RECORDINGS. YOU ADDED, AND I QUOTE, I SPEAK TO THEM DIRECTLY AND NOT JUST TO THEIR LAWYERS. I USE THEIR NAMES. I EXPLAINED EVERY STAGE OF THE PROCEEDINGS BECAUSE I WANT THEM TO KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON. AS A RESULT, YOU HAVE MADE THE LAW MORE APPROACHABLE TO LITIGANTS AND AMERICAN PEOPLE. IT CAN MAKE IT EASY TODAY, AT ITS CORE, THE RESPONSIBILITY YOU SEEK IS ONE OF SERVICE. AND I AM FAIRLY CONFIDENT YOU WILL SERVE AMERICANS FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE, ALL BACKGROUNDS. THERE MAY BE SOME WHO CLAIM WITHOUT A SHRED OF EVIDENCE THAT YOU WILL BE A RUBBER STAMP FOR THIS PRESIDENT. FOR THESE WOULD-BE BE CRITICS I HAVE FOUR WORDS LOOK AT THE , RECORD. YOUR COMPLETE RECORD HAS BEEN SCOURED BY THIS COMMITTEE ON FOUR DIFFERENT OCCASIONS, 600 WRITTEN OPINIONS, READ AND REREAD. 12,000 PAGES OF TRANSCRIPTS MINUTES, FROM THE COMMISSION. , YOUR SOARING TESTIMONY BEFORE THE COMMITTEE LESS THAN A YEAR AGO, EVERYTHING PUBLISHED HAS BEEN SPOKEN AND DETAILED ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS. FOR THOSE WHO LOOK FOR MORE, EVERY NUMBER ON THE STATUS OF THE COMMITTEE, DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS. A FAIR REVIEW ON ALL OF THIS MAKES CLEAR THE VALUE THAT YOU HAVE AND PRINCIPLES. YOU HAVE BEEN BEFORE AND AGAINST PRESIDENTS AND ADMINISTRATIONS OF BOTH PARTIES, PROSECUTORS, RULING FOR WORKERS AND THEIR EMPLOYERS, AND YOU HAVE BEEN FAITHFUL TO PEOPLE WITHOUT KNOWING THEIR POLITICAL CAUSE. ONCE AGAIN, YOUR RECORD AND THE PROCESS THAT LED TO THIS NOMINATION BELIE THAT CLAIM. TO SUGGEST THAT YOU ARE HERE MERELY BECAUSE AN ORGANIZATION SUPPORTS YOU, IGNORES YOUR QUALIFICATIONS AND THE SUPPORT YOU BRING TO THIS. IN SELECTING THIS PRESIDENT , BIDEN HAS A TRANSPARENT SELECTION PROCESS. PEACE OUT THE INPUT OF SENATORS FROM BOTH PARTIES, SENATOR GRASSLEY AND I MET WITH THE PRESIDENT, HE INVITED US TO SEE ANY NOMINEES THAT WE CARE ABOUT. AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE PRESIDENT ALONE CHOSE YOU. HE HAS PUT HIS FAITH IN YOU TO DELIVER JUSTICE AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF THE COURT. I SHARE THAT FAITH. IN ANNOUNCING THE NOMINATION THE , PRESIDENT SPOKE TO MANY, AND NOTED THE PERSPECTIVE, AS THE FIRST JUSTICE SINCE THURGOOD MARSHALL WITH CONSIDERABLE CRIMINAL DEFENSE EXPERIENCE AND IS THE SECOND CURRENT JUSTICE, ONLY THE SECOND, TO SERVE AS A FEDERAL CROP -- TRIAL COURT JUDGE. THE FACT THEY COME FROM A LAW ENFORCEMENT FAMILY, SHARED -- DESPITE YOUR RECORD, WE HAVE HEARD CLAIMS THAT YOU ARE SOFT ON CRIME. THESE CHARGES ARE UNFAIR. THE CONSERVATIVE COLUMN IS CALLED, MERITLESS TO THE POINT OF DEMAGOGUERY. THE FLY IN THE -- THAT THEY WOULD APPROACH HER NOMINATION WITH OUT RESPECT. INCLUDING A WASHINGTON POST, ABC NEWS AND CNN, HAVE EXPOSE SOME OF THESE CHARGES AND FALSEHOODS. CRITICS HAVE STOOD IN ACCUSING THE CLAIMS THAT WERE REPRESENTED, EVEN THOUGH THEY KNOW YOUR WORK AS AN ATTORNEY WAS IN-SERVICE TO THE BILL OF RIGHTS AND THE CONSTITUTION'S PROMISE OF AFFECTIVE ASSISTANT COUNSEL. LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS AND ORGANIZATIONS, INCLUDING THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION CHIEF -- CHIEFS OF POLICE, THE NATIONAL ORGANIZATION OF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND THE FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE HAVE ENDORSED YOUR NOMINEE. I AM CONFIDENT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WILL SEE ANY LAST-MINUTE ATTENDANCE TO DERAIL YOUR CONFIRMATION. IN CLOSING, I WANT TO SHARE THE WORDS, IF YOU WILL BEAR WITH ME, OF A MAN NAMED ABRAHAM LINCOLN. IN AUGUST 1864, AT THE HEIGHT OF THE CIVIL WAR, PRESIDENT LINCOLN ADDRESSED THE 166 OHIO REGIMEN. LINCOLN SAID TO THE SOLDIERS AND I QUOTE, I HAVE BEEN TEMPORARILY TO OCCUPY THIS BIG WHITE HOUSE I , AM LIVING WITNESS THAT ONE OF YOUR CHILDREN MAY LOOK TO ME AS YOUR FATHER HAS. JUDGE JACKSON, YOU ARE A TEMPORARY OCCUPANT OF THE SEVENTH, THE HOUSE, EVEN WITH A LIFETIME APPOINTMENT TO THE HIGHEST COURT IN THE LAND. YOU ARE ONE OF MR. LINCOLN'S LIVING WITNESSES OF AN AMERICA THAT IS UNAFRAID OF CHALLENGE, WILLING TO RISK CHANGE, CONFIDENT OF THE BASIC GOODNESS OF OUR CITIZENS AND YOU ARE A , LIVING WITNESS TO THE FACT THAT IN AMERICA, ALL IS POSSIBLE. I NOW RECOGNIZE MY COLLEAGUE AND FRIEND THE RANKING MEMBER, , SENATOR GRASSLEY. ...