HE’S SITTING DOWN TO BE SWORN IN.
IN. I THINK WE’RE GOING TO HEAR HIM
TALK IN JUST A MINUTE.
LET’S LISTEN.
LET’S LISTEN. >> -- WILL BE THE TRUTH, THE
WHOLE TRUTH, AND NOTHING BUT THE
TRUTH, SO HELP YOU GOD?
>> I DO.
>> I DO. >> THANK YOU.
PROCEED WITH YOUR STATEMENT OR
ANYTHING ELSE THAT YOU WANT TO
TELL THE COMMITTEE RIGHT NOW.
>> THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN,
SENATOR FEINSTEIN, MEMBERS OF
THE COMMITTEE.
THE COMMITTEE. I THANK SECRETARY RICE, SENATOR
PORTMAN AND LISA BLAT FOR THEIR
GENEROUS INTRODUCTIONS.
GENEROUS INTRODUCTIONS. THEY ARE PATRIOTS WHO REPRESENT
THE BEST OF AMERICA.
I’M HUMBLED BY THEIR CONFIDENCE.
I’M PROUD TO CALL EACH OF THEM A
FRIEND.
FRIEND. OVER THE PAST EIGHT WEEKS, I’VE
WITNESSED FIRST HAND THE
SENATE’S DEEP APPRECIATION FOR
THE VITAL ROLE OF THE AMERICAN
JUDICIARY.
JUDICIARY. I HAVE MET WITH 65 SENATORS,
INCLUDING ALMOST EVERY MEMBER OF
THIS COMMITTEE.
THIS COMMITTEE. THOSE MEETINGS ARE SOMETIMES
REFERRED TO AS COURTESY CALLS.
BUT THAT TERM UNDERSTATES HOW
SUBSTANTIVE AND PERSONAL OUR
DISCUSSIONS HAVE BEEN.
I HAVE GREATLY ENJOYED ALL 65
MEETINGS.
MEETINGS. IN LISTENING TO ALL OF YOU, I
HAVE LEARNED MORE ABOUT OUR
COUNTRY AND THE PEOPLE YOU
REPRESENT.
REPRESENT. EVERY SENATOR IS DEVOTED TO
PUBLIC SERVICE AND THE PUBLIC
GOOD.
GOOD. AND I THANK ALL OF THE SENATORS
FOR THEIR TIME AND THEIR
THOUGHTS.
THOUGHTS. I THANK PRESIDENT TRUMP FOR THE
HONOR OF THIS NOMINATION.
AS A JUDGE AND A CITIZEN, I WAS
DEEPLY IMPRESSED BY THE
PRESIDENT’S CAREFUL ATTENTION TO
THE NOMINATION PROCESS, AND BY
HIS THOROUGH CONSIDERATION OF
POTENTIAL NOMINEES.
POTENTIAL NOMINEES. I’M ALSO VERY GRATEFUL FOR HIS
COURTESY THAT THE WHITE HOUSE,
ON THE NIGHT OF THE
ANNOUNCEMENT, THE PRESIDENT AND
MRS. TRUMP, WERE VERY GRAY
SHOUSE TO --
GRACIOUS TO MY WIFE, MY
DAUGHTERS, AND MY PARENTS.
MY FAMILY WILL ALWAYS CHERISH
THAT NIGHT.
THAT NIGHT. OR AS MY DAUGHTER LIZA CALLS IT,
HER DEBUT ON NATIONAL
TELEVISION.
TELEVISION. [ LAUGHTER ]
AS A NOMINEE TO THE SUPREME
COURT, I UNDERSTAND THE
RESPONSIBILITY I BEAR.
SOME 30 YEARS AGO, JUDGE ANTHONY
KENNEDY SAT IN THIS SEAT.
HE BECAME ONE OF THE MOST
CONSEQUENTIAL JUSTICES IN
AMERICAN HISTORY.
AMERICAN HISTORY. I SERVED AS HIS LAW CLERK IN
1993.
1993. .
. TO ME, JUSTICE KENNEDY IS A
MENTOR, A FRIEND, AND A HERO.
AS A MEMBER OF THE COURT, HE WAS
A MODEL OF CIVILITY AND CLEEJHE
FIERCELY DEFENDED THE
INDEPENDENCE OF THE JUDICIARY.
AND HE WAS A CHAMPION OF
LIBERTY.
LIBERTY. IF YOU HAD TO SUM UP JUSTICE
KENNEDY’S ENTIRE CAREER IN ONE
WORD, LIBERTY.
WORD, LIBERTY. JUSTICE KENNEDY ESTABLISHED A
LEGACY OF LIBERTY FOR OURSELVES
AND OUR POSTERITY.
I’M HERE TODAY WITH ANOTHER OF
MY JUDICIAL HEROES.
MY MOM.
MY MOM. 50 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK, IN
SEPTEMBER 1968, MY MOM WAS 26
AND I WAS 3.
AT THAT TIME, MY MOM STARTED AS
A PUBLIC SCHOOLTEACHER AT
McKINLEY TECH HIGH SCHOOL HERE
IN WASHINGTON, D.C.
1968 WAS A DIFFICULT TIME FOR
RACE RELATIONS IN OUR CITY AND
OUR COUNTRY.
OUR COUNTRY. McKINLEY TECH HAD AN ALMOST
ENTIRELY AFRICAN-AMERICAN
ENTIRELY AFRICAN-AMERICAN STUDENT BODY.
STUDENT BODY. IT WAS EAST OF THE PARK.
I VIVIDLY REMEMBER DAYS AS A
YOUNG BOY SITTING IN THE BACK OF
MY MOM’S CLASSROOM AS SHE TAUGHT
AMERICAN HISTORY TO A CLASS OF
AFRICAN-AMERICAN TEENAGERS.
AFRICAN-AMERICAN TEENAGERS. HER STUDENTS WERE BORN BEFORE
BROWN VERSUS BOARD OF EDUCATION
OR BOWLING VERSUS SHARP.
MY HER EXAMPLE, MY MOM TAUGHT ME
THE IMPORTANCE OF EQUALITY FOR
ALL AMERICANS.
ALL AMERICANS. EQUAL RIGHTS, EQUAL DIGNITY, AND
EQUAL JUSTICE UNDER THE LAW.
MY MOM WAS A TRAILBLAZER.
WHEN I WAS 10, SHE WENT TO LAW
SCHOOL AT AMERICAN UNIVERSITY
AND BECAME A PROSECUTOR.
I AM AN ONLY CHILD, AND MY
INTRODUCTION TO LAW CAME AT OUR
DINNER TABLE WHEN SHE PRACTICED
HER CLOSING ARGUMENTS ON MY DAD
AND ME.
AND ME. HER TRADEMARK LINE WAS, USE YOUR
COMMON SENSE.
COMMON SENSE. WHAT RINGS TRUE, WHAT RINGS
FALSE?
FALSE? ONE OF THE FEW WOMEN PROSECUTORS
AT THE TIME, SHE OVERCAME
BARRIERS AND WAS LATER APPOINTED
BY DEMOCRATIC GOVERNORS TO SERVE
AS A MARYLAND STATE TRIAL JUDGE.
OUR FEDERAL AND STATE TRIAL
JUDGES SERVE ON THE FRONT LINES
OF AMERICAN JUSTICE.
MY MOM TAUGHT ME THAT JUDGES
DON’T DEAL IN ABSTRACT
PRINCIPLES.
PRINCIPLES. THEY DECIDE FOR REAL CASES, FOR
REAL PEOPLE, IN THE REAL WORLD.
AND SHE TAUGHT ME THAT GOOD
JUDGES MUST ALWAYS STAND IN THE
SHOES OF OTHERS.
THE CHAIRMAN REFERRED TO ME
TODAY AS JUDGE KAVANAUGH.
BUT TO ME, THAT TITLE WILL
ALWAYS BELONG TO MY MOM.
FOR 12 YEARS, I’VE BEEN A JUDGE
ON THE U.S. COURT OF APPEALS FOR
THE D.C. CIRCUIT.
I HAVE WRITTEN MORE THAN 300
OPINIONS AND HANDLED MORE THAN
2,000 CASES.
2,000 CASES. I HAVE GIVEN IT MY ALL IN EVERY
CASE.
CASE. I AM PROUD OF THAT BODY OF WORK,
AND I STAND BEHIND IT.
I TELL PEOPLE DON’T READ ABOUT
MY JUDICIAL OPINIONS, READ THE
OPINIONS.
OPINIONS. I’VE SERVED WITH 17 OTHER
JUDGES, EACH OF THEM A COLLEAGUE
AND A FRIEND.
ON A COURT NOW LED BY OUR SUPERB
CHIEF JUDGE, MAREK GARLAND.
MY JUDICIAL PHILOSOPHY IS
STRAIGHTFORWARD, A JUDGE MUST BE
INDEPENDENT AND MUST INTERPRET
THE LAW, NOT MAKE THE LAW.
A JUDGE MUST INTERPRET STATUTES
AS WRITTEN.
AS WRITTEN. A JUDGE MUST INTERPRET THE
CONSTITUTION AS WRITTEN,
INFORMED BY HISTORY AND
TRADITION, AND PRECEDENT.
IN DECIDING CASES, A JUST MUST
ALWAYS KEEP IN MIND WHAT
ALEXANDER HAMILTON SAID IN
FEDERALIST 83, THE RULES OF
LEGAL INTERPRETATION ARE RULES
OF COMMON SENSE.
A GOOD JUDGE MUST BE AN UMPIRE,
A NEUTRAL AND IMPARTIAL ARBITER
WHO FAVORS NO LITIGANT OR
POLICY.
POLICY. AS JUSTICE KENNEDY EXPLAINED IN
TEXAS VERSUS JOHNSON, ONE OF HIS
GREATEST OPINIONS, JUDGES DO NOT
MAKE DECISIONS TO REACH A
PREFERRED RESULT.
PREFERRED RESULT. JUDGES MAKE DECISIONS BECAUSE
THE LAW AND THE CONSTITUTION AS
WE SEE THEM COMPEL THE RESULTS.
OVER THE PAST 12 YEARS, I’VE
RULED SOMETIMES FOR THE
PROSECUTION AND SOMETIMES FOR
CRIMINAL DEFENDANTS.
CRIMINAL DEFENDANTS. SOMETIMES FOR WORKERS, AND
SOMETIMES FOR BUSINESSES.
SOMETIMES FOR ENVIRONMENTALISTS,
AND SOMETIMES FOR COAL MINERS.
IN EACH CASE, I’VE FOLLOWED THE
LAW.
LAW. I DO NOT DECIDE CASES BASED ON
PERSONAL OR POLICY PREFERENCES.
I’M NOT A PRO PLAINTIFF OR PRO
DEFENDANT JUDGE.
DEFENDANT JUDGE. I’M NOT A PRO PROSECUTION OR PRO
DEFENSE JUDGE.
DEFENSE JUDGE. I AM A PRO LAW JUDGE.
AS JUSTICE KENNEDY SHOWED US, A
JUDGE MUST BE INDEPENDENT, NOT
SWAYED BY PUBLIC PRESSURE.
OUR INDEPENDENT JUDICIARY IS THE
CROWN JULY OF OUR CONSTITUTIONAL
REPUBLIC.
REPUBLIC. IN OUR INDEPENDENT JUDICIARY,
THE SUPREME COURT IS THE LAST
LINE OF DEFENSE FOR THE
SEPARATION OF POWERS.
AND FOR THE RIGHTS AND LIBERTIES
GUARANTEED BY THE CONSTITUTION.
THE SUPREME COURT MUST NEVER,
NEVER BE VIEWED AS A PARTISAN
INSTITUTION.
INSTITUTION. THE JUSTICES ON THE SUPREME
COURT DO NOT SIT ON OPPOSITE
SIDES OF AN AISLE.
THEY DO NOT CAUCUS IN SEPARATE
ROOMS.
ROOMS. IF CONFIRMED TO THE SUPREME
COURT, I WOULD BE PART OF A TEAM
OF NINE, COMMITTED TO DECIDING
CASES ACCORDING TO THE
CONSTITUTION AND LAWS OF THE
UNITED STATES.
UNITED STATES. I WOULD ALWAYS STRIVE TO BE A
TEAM PLAYER ON THE TEAM OF NINE.
THROUGHOUT MY LIFE I’VE TRIED TO
SERVE THE COMMON GOOD IN KEEPING
WITH MY JESUIT HIGH SCHOOL’S
MOLL ’
MOLL ’ MOTTO, MEN FOR OTHERS.
I HAVE TUTORED AT A HIGH SCHOOL
FOR BOYS FOR LOW INCOME
FAMILIES.
FAMILIES. AT CATHOLIC CHARITIES, I’VE
SERVED MEALS TO THE HOMELESS.
AND THOSE WORKS, I KEEP IN MIND
THE MESSAGE OF MATTHEW 25, AND
TRY TO SERVE THE LEAST FORTUNATE
AMONG US.
AMONG US. I KNOW I FALL SHORT AT TIMES,
BUT I ALWAYS WANT TO DO MORE AND
DO BETTER.
DO BETTER. FOR THE PAST SEVEN YEARS, I’VE
COACHED MY DAUGHTER’S BASKETBALL
TEAMS.
TEAMS. I LOVE COACHING.
ALL THE GIRLS I’VE COACHED ARE
AWESOME.
AWESOME. AND SPECIAL CONGRATULATIONS TO
THE GIRLS ON THIS YEAR’S SIXTH
GRADE CYO CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM.
ANNA QUINN, KELSEY, SHAWNEE,
CHLOE, ALEX, AVA, SOPHIA, AND
MARGARET.
MARGARET. I LOVE HELPING THE GIRLS GROW
INTO CONFIDENT PLAYERS.
I KNOW THAT CONFIDENCE ON THE
BASKETBALL COURT TRANSTRANSLATES
CONFIDENCE IN OTHER ASPECTS OF
LIFE.
LIFE. TITLE NINE HELPED MAKE GIRLS AND
WOMEN’S SPORTS EQUAL.
AND I SEE THAT LAW’S LEGACY
EVERY NIGHT WHEN I WALK INTO MY
HOUSE AS MY DAUGHTERS ARE
GETTING BACK FROM LACROSSE OR
BASKETBALL OR HOCKEY PRACTICE.
I KNOW FROM MY OWN LIFE THAT
THOSE WHO TEACH AND COACH
AMERICA’S YOUTH ARE AMONG THE
MOST INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE IN OUR
COUNTRY.
COUNTRY. WITH A KIND WORD HERE AND A HINT
OF ENCOURAGEMENT THERE, A WORD
OF DISCIPLINE DELIVERED IN A
SPIRIT OF LOVE, TEACHERS AND
COACHES CHANGE LIVES.
I THANK ALL OF MY TEACHERS AND
COACHES WHO HAVE GOTTEN ME TO
THIS POINT, AND I THANK ALL THE
TEACHES AND COACHES THROUGHOUT
AMERICA.
AMERICA. AS A JUDGE, I’VE SOUGHT TO TRAIN
THE NEXT GENERATION OF LAWYERS
AND LEADERS.
AND LEADERS. FOR 12 YEARS, I’VE TAUGHT
CONSTITUTIONAL LAW TO HUNDREDS
OF STUDENTS, PRIMARILY AT
HARVARD LAW SCHOOL.
I TEACH THAT THE CONSTITUTION
SEPARATION OF POWERS PROTECTS
INDIVIDUAL LIBERTY.
INDIVIDUAL LIBERTY. I’M GRATEFUL TO ALL MY STUDENTS.
I HAVE LEARNED SO MUCH FROM
THEM.
THEM. AND I’M ESPECIALLY GRATEFUL TO
THE DEAN WHO FIRST HIRED ME, NOW
JUSTICE ELENA KAGAN.
ONE OF THE BEST PARTS OF MY JOB
AS A JUDGE IS EACH YEAR HIRING
FOUR RECENT LAW SCHOOL GRADUATES
TO SERVE AS MY LAW CLERKS FOR
THE YEAR.
THE YEAR. I HIRED THE BEST.
MY LAW CLERK’S COME FROM DIVERSE
BACK GROUNDS AND POINTS OF VIEW.
A MAJORITY OF MY 48 LAW CLERKS
HAVE BEEN WOMEN.
MORE THAN A QUARTER OF MY LAW
CLERKS HAVE BEEN MINORITIES.
AND I’VE HAD FAR MORE
AFRICAN-AMERICAN LAW CLERKS THAN
THE PERCENTAGE OF
AFRICAN-AMERICAN STUDENTS IN
U.S. LAW SCHOOLS. U.S. LAW SCHOO
I AM PROUD OF ALL MY LAW CLERKS.
I AM GRATEFUL FOR MY FRIENDS.
THIS PAST MAY I DELIVERED THE
COMMENTMENT
COMMENTMENT COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS.
COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS. I SAID CHERISH YOUR FRIENDS,
LOOK OUT FOR YOUR FRIENDS, LIFT
UP YOUR FRIENDS, LOVE YOUR
FRIENDS.
FRIENDS. OVER THE LAST 8 WEEKS I HAVE
BEEN STRENGTHENED BY THE LOVE OF
MY FRIENDS AND I THANK ALL MY
FRIENDS.
FRIENDS. I AM GRATEFUL TO HAVE MY FAMILY
BEHIND ME.
BEHIND ME. MY MOM RIGHTLY GETS A LOT OF
ATTENTION, BUT A FEW WORDS ABOUT
MY DAD.
MY DAD. HE HAS AN UNPARALLELED WORK
ETHIC AND GIFT FOR MAKING
FRIENDS WITH PEOPLE, REGARDLESS
WHO THEY ARE OR WHERE THEY COME
FROM.
FROM. MY DAD AND I ARE BOTH PASSIONATE
SPORTS FANS.
SPORTS FANS. WHEN I WAS SEVEN, HE TOOK ME TO
THE 1972 NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
AT RFK STADIUM JUST TWO MILES
FROM HERE.
FROM HERE. UPPER DECK, SECTION 503, ROW 3,
SEATS 8 AND 9.
WHEN I WAS 17, WE SAT IN THE
SAME SEATS FOR THE 1982 NFC
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME.
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME. IN 1995 WHEN I WAS 30, WE ARE AT
CAMDEN YARDS TOGETHER WHEN CAL
RIPKEN PLATED HIS 2131st GAME
AND BROKE LIEUOU GER IG’S RECORD
MY DAUGHTERS, MARGARET AND LIZA
WILL BE IN AND OUT OF THE
HEARING ROOM THE NEXT FEW DAYS.
THEY’RE STRONG GIRLS, DEDICATED
STUDENTS, OUTSTANDING ATHLETES.
IN THE TIME SINCE YOU LAST SAW
THEM AT THE WHITE HOUSE
CEREMONY, PLEASED TO REPORT
MARGARET HAS GOTTEN HER BRACES
OFF AND HAS TURNED 13.
MARGARET IS THE SWEETEST GIRL
YOU’LL EVER KNOW.
AS FOR LIZA I TELL HER EVERY
NIGHT THAT NO ONE GIVES A BETTER
HUG THAN LIZA KAVANAUGH.
FINALLY, I THANK MY WIFE ASHLEY.
SHE’S A STRONG WEST TEXAN.
A GRADUATE OF ABILENE COOPER
PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL, AND
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN.
SHE’S NOW THE POPULAR TOWN
MANAGER OF OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY.
THIS IS NOT EXACTLY BEEN THE
SUMMER SHE HAD PLANNED FOR THE
FAMILY.
FAMILY. I AM GRATEFUL FOR HER LOVE AND
INSPIRATION.
INSPIRATION. ASHLEY IS A KIND SOUL.
SHE ALWAYS SEES THE GOODNESS IN
OTHERS.
OTHERS. SHE’S MADE ME A BETTER PERSON
AND A BETTER JUDGE.
I THANK GOD EVERY DAY FOR MY
FAMILY.
FAMILY. MR. CHAIRMAN, SENATOR FEINSTEIN,
MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE, I LOOK
FORWARD TO THE REST OF THE
HEARING AND TO ANSWERING YOUR
QUESTIONS.
QUESTIONS. I AM AN OPTIMIST.
I LIVE ON THE SUNRISE SIDE OF
THE MOUNTAIN, NOT THE SUNSET
SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN.
I SEE THE DAY THAT IS COMING,
NOT THE DAY THAT HAS GONE.
I AM OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE FUTURE
OF AMERICA.
OF AMERICA. I AM OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE FUTURE
OF OUR INDEPENDENT JUDICIARY.
I REVERE THE CONSTITUTION.
IF CONFIRMED TO THE SUPREME
COURT, I WILL KEEP AN OPEN MIND
IN EVERY CASE.
I WILL DO EQUAL RIGHT TO THE
POOR AND TO THE RICH.
I WILL ALWAYS STRIVE TO PRESERVE
THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED
STATES AND THE AMERICAN RULE OF