More delighted to have you here.
This is a refreshing moment.
We are holding a hearing for an accomplished experienced
Highly qualified nominee to the Supreme Court.
Who came to us not through a dark, money funded turnstile.
But through a fair and honest selection process.
Judge Jackson has unparalleled breadth of experience both on and
off the bench.
She has already been confirmed by the Senate.
Three times.
She serves on what is often called the second highest court in the
land.
The D C circuit handles some of the most difficult and consequential
cases in the nation.
Often taking up questions that later come before the Supreme Court.
Judge Jackson that will enable you to jump right in once confirmed.
Before the D C. Circuit Judge Jackson was a trial judge in the district
court in the District of Columbia.
Ruling on hundreds of cases and presiding over trials, including
many jury trials.
Judge Jackson, You have presided over virtually every kind of case
a federal trial judge can hear across criminal and civil law.
You have more experience actually trying cases in your courtroom
than any other member of the court.
As a member of the U. S Sentencing Commission. You helped establish
the policies and practices for federal courts.
When deciding criminal punishments.
With commissioners from both parties.
You helped implement our bipartisan Fair Sentencing Act.
Complicated.
And consequential work.
And we thank you.
It matters to me, Mr Chairman. The judge, Jackson was also a civil
litigator and public defender.
She wasn't groomed.
In partisan Petri dishes.
She learned practical.
Courtroom experience in both civil and criminal law.
How the judicial system works and how it serves or doesn't serve.
Different litigants.
And I must say that in Rhode Island we love
That before you clerked for Justice Stephen Breyer.
You clerked for Rhode Islander Bruce Celia.
On the first circuit.
Judge Celia was nominated by Ronald Reagan.
He is well regarded.
By bench and bar.
And he thinks the world
Of Judge Jackson.
She is absolutely everything you would want in a Supreme Court justice.
He told the Boston Globe in February. She has all the tickets.
In terms of her intelligence.
Her education.
Her work experience.
And her demonstrated judicial temperament.
He actually said that waiting for the Supreme Court selection process
to take place.
Made him feel like a father.
Waiting to hear his daughters.
College admissions results.
We very much appreciate that.
Rhode Island touch to this nomination.
Judge Jackson has steadfastly committed to the Constitution and the
rule of law, and her record reflects
The type of even handedness and independence.
That will make her such a good
Supreme Court justice.
Her guiding principle, she has said, is to consistently apply.
The same level of analytical rigor to a case.
No matter who or what is involved in the legal action.
She says. This means you can quoting again be consistent in the way
you are analyzing the issues.
And you can set aside any thoughts about who was making the arguments.
And what advantages any side might take away from your opinions.
If you have fidelity to the rule of law that is grounded in looking
at only those inputs.
She said then.
I think you can rule.
Without fear or favor.
Mr Chairman, Judge Jackson will be an exemplary justice both because
of the qualities that she possesses.
And because she did not undergo a secret pre selection process to
get here.
She is before us on the basis of her own merit.
Not on the recommendation of a secretive right wing donor operation.
Hiding behind anonymous multimillion dollar donations.
And aimed at capturing the United States Supreme Court as if it were
some 19th Century Railroad Commission.
The unpleasant fact is that the president court is the court that
dark money built.
Anonymous donations funded the Federalist Society while it housed
the selection turnstile run by the dark money donors.
Anonymous money funded the Dark money group down the same hallway
as the Federalist Society.
That ran the dark money political campaigns for the selected justices.
And because of all that secrecy, Americans are denied any real understanding
of the overlap of all that dark money.
With the political dark money funding the Republican Party.
Which could well explain the wreckage of Senate norms, rules and
procedures.
Better company, the confirmation process of recent nominees.
Judge Jackson's nomination and the process by which she was selected.
Stand in sharp contrast.
President Biden undertook a thorough and independent review of her
record.
And she will proceed through a thorough and fair process here in
the Senate.
We will abide by the new precedents by Republicans in recent years.
But we will not be fabricating new ones.
We've already seen dark money groups.
Use dark money.
To run ads.
Charging that dark money suede this selection
We are hearing that again today.
Ironic.
When hundreds of millions of dollars in right wing dark money built
the current court majority.
And still signals its wishes through flotillas.
Of dark money front groups posing as Mickey Curiae.
I welcome the debate on these points.
And I look forward to hearing more from the excellent nominee before
us.
Judge Celia
Counted the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, an old friend.
I see some of the same qualities in CA Tangie that I saw in Ruth,
he said.
Humility.
The ability to inspire others in a quiet way, not at the top of her
voice.
Some people, he said.
Have the capacity to inspire by example.
And the force of their reason.
Judge Jackson. I'm certain
Your capacity to inspire through force of reason will be on display
here this week.
Thank you, Chairman Durban for your leadership of the hearing, and