CONGRATULATIONS. [APPLAUSE]
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR.
PRESIDENT.
I AM DEEPLY HONORED BY THE
CONFIDENCE THAT YOU HAVE PLACED
IN ME AND I’M SO GRATEFUL TO YOU
AND THE FIRST LADY, TO THE VICE
PRESIDENT AND THE SECOND LADY,
AND TO SO MANY OTHERS HERE FOR
YOUR KINDNESS ON THIS RATHER
OVERWHELMING OCCASION.
I FULLY UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS
A MOMENTOUS DECISION FOR A
PRESIDENT AND IF THE SENATE DOES
NEED THE HONOR OF CONFIRMING ME,
I PLEDGE TO DISCHARGE
RESPONSIBILITIES OF THIS JOB TO
THE VERY BEST OF MY ABILITY.
I LOVE THE UNITED STATES, AND I
LOVE THE UNITED STATES’
CONSTITUTION.
I’M TRULY --
[APPLAUSE]
I’M TRULY HUMBLED BY THE
PROSPECT OF SERVING ON THE
SUPREME COURT.
SHOULD I BE CONFIRMED, I WILL BE
MINDFUL OF WHO CAME BEFORE ME.
THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES IS
STILL FLYING AT HALF-STAFF IN
MEMORY OF JUSTICE RUTH BADER
GINSBURG TO MARK THE END OF A
GREAT AMERICAN LIFE.
JUSTICE GINSBURG BEGAN HER
CAREER AT A TIME WHEN WOMEN WERE
NOT WELCOME IN THE LEGAL
PROFESSION.
BUT SHE NOT ONLY BROKE DEALINGS
SHE SMASHED THEM.
FOR THAT, SHE HAS WON THE
ADMIRATION OF WOMEN ACROSS THE
COUNTRY AND INDEED, ALL OVER THE
WORLD.
[APPLAUSE]
SHE WAS A WOMAN OF ENORMOUS
TALENT AND CONSEQUENCE, AND HER
LIFE OF PUBLIC SERVICE SERVES AS
AN EXAMPLE TO US ALL.
PARTICULARLY, POIG ASSISTANT TO
ME WAS LONG AND DEEP FREUD WITH
JUSTICE ANTONIN SCALIA MY OWN
MENTOR.
JUSTICE SCALIA AND GINSBURG
DISAGREED FIERCELY IN PRINT
WITHOUT RANK OR IN PERSON.
THEIR ABILITY TO MAINTAIN A WARM
AND RICH FRIENDSHIP DESPITE
THEIR DIFFERENCES EVEN INSPIRED
IN OPERA.
THESE TWO GREAT AMERICANS
DEMONSTRATED THAT ARGUMENTS EVEN
ABOUT MATTERS OF GREAT
CONSEQUENCE NEED NOT DESTROY
AFFECTION.
AND BOTH MY PERSONAL AND
PROFESSIONAL RELATIONSHIP, I
STRIVE TO MEET THAT STANDARD.
I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO CLERK FOR
JUSTICE SCALIA.
AND GIVEN HIS INCALLKUABLE
INFLUENCE ON MY LIFE I’M HAVING
HIS DEAR WIFE HERE MAUREEN.
I CLERKED FOR JUSTICE SCALING YA
MORE THAN 20 YEAR AGO BUT
LESSONS I LEARNED STILL
RESONATE.
HIGHS JUDICIAL PHILOSOPHY IS
MINE TOO.
A JUDGE MUST APPLY THE LAW AS
WRITTEN.
JUDGES IS NOT POLICYMAKERS AND
THEY MUST BE RESOLUTE IN SETTING
ASIDE ANY POLICY VIEWS THEY
MIGHT HOLD.
THE PRESIDENT HAS ASKED ME TO
BECOME THE 9TH JUSTICE AS IT
HAPPENS, I’M USED TO BEING IN A
GROUP OF NINE, MY FAMILY.
OUR FAMILY INCLUDES ME, MY
HUSBAND JESSE, EMMA VIVIAN TESS,
PETER, LIAM, JOULEET AND
BENJAMIN.
VIVIAN AND JOHN PETER PRESIDENT
SAID WERE BORN IN HAITI AND THEY
CAME TO US FIVE YEARS APART WHEN
THEY WERE VERY YOUNG.
AND THE MOST REVEALING FACT
ABOUT BENJAMIN OUR YOUNGEST IS
THAT HIS BROTHERS AND SISTERS
UNRESERVIVELY IDENTIFY HIM AS
FAVORITE SIBLING OUR CHILDREN,
OBVIOUSLY, MAKE OUR LIFE VERY
FULL.
WHILE I AM A JUDGE, I AM BETTER
KNOWN BACK HOME AS A ROOM
PARENT, CARPOOL DRIVER, AND
BIRTHDAY PARTY PLANNER.
WHEN SCHOOLS WENT REMOTE LAST
SPRING, I TRIED ON ANOTHER HAT
JESSE AND I CAME COPARENT OF THE
LEARNING ACADEMY AND LIST OF
ENROLL STUDENTS WAS A VERY LONG
ONE.
OUR CHILDREN ARE MY GREATEST JOY
EVEN THOUGH THEY DEPRIVE ME OF
ANY REASONABLE AMOUNT OF SLEEP.
I COULDN’T MANAGE THIS VERY FULL
LIFE WITHOUT THE UNWAIVERRING
SUPPORT OF MY HUSBAND, JESSE.
AT THE START OF OUR MARRIAGE, I
IMAGINE THAT WE WOULD RUN OUR
HOUSEHOLD AS PARTNERS.
AS IT IS TURNED OUT, JESSE DOES
FAR MORE THAN HIS SHARE OF THE
WORK.
TO MY CHAGRIN I LEARN DINNER
RECENTLY MY CHILDREN CONSIDER
HIM TO BE THE BETTER COOK.
FOR 21 YEARS JESSE HAS ASKED ME
EVERY SINGLE MORNING WHAT HE CAN
DO FOR ME THAT DAY.
AND, THOUGH, I ALMOST ALWAYS SAY
NOTHING, HE STILL FIND WAYS TO
TAKE THINGS OFF MY PLATE.
AND THAT’S NOT BECAUSE HE HAS A
LOT OF FREE TIME.
HE HAS A BUSY LAW PRACTICE.
IT IS BECAUSE HE’S A SUPERB
GENEROUS HUSBAND AND I’M VERY
FORTUNATE. JESSE --
JESSE --
[APPLAUSE]
JESSE AND I HAVE A LIFE FULL OF
RELATIONSHIPS, NOT ONLY WITH OUR
CHILDREN, BUT WITH SIBLINGS,
FRIENDS, AND FEARLESS
BABY-SITTERS WON OF ONE WITH US
TODAY I’M GRATEFUL TOLL MY
PARENTS MIKE AND ABOUT LINDA
CONEY.
I SPENT THE BULK OF, I HAVE
SPENT BULK OF MY CHILDHOOD
MIDWESTERNER AND I GREW UP IN A
NEW ORLEANS HOME AND AS BROTHERS
AND SISTERS CAN ALSO ATTEST MOM
AND DAD’S GENEROSITY EXTENDS NOT
ONLY TO US.
BUT TO MORE PEOPLE THAN ANY OF
US COULD COUNT.
THEY ARE AN INSPIRATION.
IT IS IMPORTANT AT A MOMENT LIKE
THIS TO KNOWLEDGE FAMILY AND
FRIENDS.
BUT THIS INC. I ALSO WANT TO
ACKNOWLEDGE YOU, MY FELLOW
AMERICANS.
THE PRESIDENT HAS NOMINATED ME
TO SERVE ON THE UNITED STATES
SUPREME COURT.
AND THAT INSTITUTION BELONGS TO
ALL OF US.
IF CONFIRMED, I WOULD NOT ASSUME
THAT ROLE FOR THE SAKE OF THOSE
IN MY OWN CIRCLE AND CERTAINLY
NOT FOR MY OWN SAKE.
I WOULD ASSUME THIS ROLE TO
SERVE YOU.
I WOULD DISCHARGE THE JUDICIAL
OATH, WHICH REQUIRES ME TO
ADMINISTER JUSTICE WITHOUT
RESPECT TO PERSON.
TO EQUAL RIGHTS, TO THE POOR AND
RICH, AND FAITHFULLY AND
IMPARTIALLY DISCHARGE MY DUTIES
UNDER THE UNITED STATES
CONSTITUTION.
I HAVE NO ILLUSIONS THAT THE
ROAD AHEAD OF ME WILL BE EASY
EITHER FOR THE SHORT-TERM OR THE
LONG HAUL.
I NEVER IMAGINED THAT I WOULD
FIND MYSELF IN THIS POSITION.
BUT NOW THAT I AM, I ASSURE YOU
THAT I WILL MEET THE CHALLENGE
WITH BOTH HUMILITY AND COURAGE.
MEMBERS OF THE UNITED STATES
SENATE, I LOOK FORWARD TO
WORKING WITH YOU DURING THE
CONFIRMATION PROCESS.
AND I WILL DO MY VERY BEST TO
DEMONSTRATE THAT I’M WORTHY OF