she was many things to many people. a brilliant minds, a quick the opera. a friend, colleague, a workout group, feminist icon. she might be the only supreme court justice to become a mean. but began as a joke, the notorious rpg liking a legendary rapper to an octogenarian jurist, struck a chord, a deeper residence in american society because ruth bader ginsburg wasec in fact a rebellious force to be reckoned with. in a mail dominated legal establishment that was not waiting for someone like ruth to shake up the system, she elbowed her way through, her brains, her strength, her fortitude change the worldon for women long before the rest of

the d world caught up. over the course of two decades and academics in general counsel for the aclu, ruth worked to challenge theth foundation of the legal system that had long treated women as a group that had to be protected and thus excluded. from full participation in american life. not only did she reverse those laws, and convince the majority of the supreme court that the constitution forbids discrimination on the basis of, she was a living, breathing example of how absurd and idea it ever was that women needed additional protection. and when she got to the court, she ruled in a manner that brought the same equality and justice to so many different people from awe walks of life. the daughter of russian immigrants who came toy, this country, like my own

grandparents, ruth went to the same high school as i did in brooklyn, new york, james mattis high school, two decades before i did. i followed her career and her assent to the bench. with that special pride you feel watching someone from your neighborhood make a great difference in the world. the fact that at the end of her long life and illustrious caree career, young women and indeed young men across america looked at ruth gator ginsburg with the same sense of pride and hope and sometimes adoration gives me great hope. may she forever rest in peace. >> now, justice ginsburg's death leaves a vacancy on the supreme court. with only 44 days left before eight national election that could result in a different president. a vacancy thathe could determine the supreme court for generations and make rulings that touch every aspect of

american life. reporters will no doubt cover the political here in washington. but for hundreds of millions ofcy americans, this vacancy on the supreme court puts everything, everything on the r line. americans like the health care, hangs in the balance. president trump is pursuing a lawsuit which would eliminate protections for more than 130 million americans with pre-existing conditions. send drug prices soaring for seniors on medicare. intake health insurance away from tens of millions of people. he will nominate a justice that would ensure that result in a supreme court case that will be argued only a few weeks after election day. i woman's a fundamental, constitutional right to make her own medical decisions for you to control her own body, the right to choose hangs in the balance.

the right of workers to organize and collectively bargain for fair wages that at a time of growing income any quality, hangs in the balance. the future of our planets. environmental protection, and the possibility of bold legislation to address climate change, hang in the balance. voting rights in the right ofan every american citizen to have a voice in our democracy, hang in the balance. the stakes of this election prayed the stakes of this vacancy, concern no less than the future fundamental rights for the american people. i was with my daughter and her wife to celebrate the jewish new year. and they thought to themselves and mentioned at the table, could their right to be married, could marriage equality be undone? those are questions, hundreds of millions of americans are

asking about things near and dear to them. as this nomination hangs in the balance. that is what it is awe about. awe of the rights enshrined in our constitution that are supposed to be protected by the supreme court of the united states. awe of the rights that could be undone or unwound by a conservative majority on the court the right to join a union, maryar who you love, fully exercise your right to vote. the rate of a parent of a child to not watch helpless as her son or daughter suffers without proper healthcare. if you care about these things in the kind of country we live in this election and this vacancy mean everything. but every modicum of decency and honor, we have no right to fill it. no right.

in the final few weeks, sensing heril failing health, justice ginsburg told her family that it was her quote most fervent wish that she not be replaced until the new president is installed. that was justice ruth bader ginsburg's dying wish. her most fervent wish that she should not be replaced until a new president is installed. the senate republican majority should have no problem adhering to justice ginsburg's dying wish. leader mcconnell held a supreme court vacancy open for nearly a year in order to quote, give the people a voice in selecting a supreme court justice. r.i just heard the remarks of the republican leader, it is obvious why he is so defensive. this is what leader mcconnell said in 2016, mere hours after

the death of justice scalia, quote, his words, the american people should have a voice in the selection of their next supreme court justice. therefore this vacancy shall not be filled until we have a new president. no amount can change what might connell said then, and it applies even more so now, more so, so much closer we are to an election. an op-ed on february 18, 2016, with senator grassley, leader mcconnell wrote, given that we are in the midst of a presidential election process, we believe the american people should seize the opportunity to weigh in on who they trust to nominate the next person for the lifetime appointment to the courts. in the midst of an election system. in the midst of an election process, february before the election. but now we are not?

now these words don'ton apply? does not pass the smell test in anyway. no wonder leader mcconnell was so defensive and his comments. at a press conference on march 1, 2016, leader mcconnell said quote, we will look forward to the american people deciding who they want to make this appointment to their own votes. and on the floor, march 16, 2016, mcconnell said quote our view is this. give the16 people ad, voice and filling the vacancy. that was eight months, more than eight months from eight national election. this is 44 days. the senate has never confirmed a nominee to the supreme court this close to a presidential election. if that was how leader mcconnell and senate republicans justify their mindless obstruction of president obama's nominee,

surely they must abide by their own standards. what is fair is fair. what is fair is fair. the senator's word must count for something. senator mcconnell's come to the floor numerous times to say quote, your word is the currency of the realm in the senate. that quote it is important for awe senators to keep their word. but is particularly important for the majority leader unquote. leader mcconnell said those things. my friend the distinguished chairman of the judiciary committee,mm sense this situation might arise and made it crystal clear how he would behave if the shoe were on the other foot. quote he said, i want you to use my words against me, unquote. if there is a republican president in 2016 and vacancy occurs in the last year the first term, you can say lindsey graham said let's let the next president, whoever it

might be, make that nomination. he reiterated that less than two years ago and encourage the audience to quote hold for exactly the situation. no wonder americans have so little faith in government and in this senate, led by the republican majority. we now know the entire thing was a farce. not a shred of credibility to those arguments. we havet the exact scenario that chairman graham talked about. a republicanpr senate and that -- in the last year the first term indeed, it is almost the last month of his first term. i want you to use those words against me, he said. you can say lindsey graham said the next president, whoever it might be, should make the nomination.or well, here we are. and despite these words, despite their supposedly noble

principl principle, that the american people should have a voice in the decision of the next supreme court justice, president trump, leader mcconnell, chairman graham of already announced they will ignore their own standard and will rush to confirm a new justice before the next president is installed. a justice that could tear down justice ginsburg's life work and other critical laws the affordable care act. the kind words and lamentations we just heard from the majority leader about justice ginsburg are totally empty, totally meaningless if he moves to appoint someone who will tear down everything justice ginsburg built. leader mcconnell, put the senate on pause for over four months book covid-19 devastated our country. but now he will move earth and

heaven and ignore awe principal and consistency to installwa a new supreme court justice who could rip away americans healthcare in the middle of a pandemic. leader mcconnell and chairman graham, have made a mockery of their previous position. they seemed ready to show the world their word is simply no good. it is a enough to make your head explode. and then to hear leader mcconnell up on the floor trying to defend this, pathetic, pathetic. why even bother constructing a pretense for your position? why say itxa is this real or that rule and then to the exact opposite when it suits your interest? why not just come to the floor and say i am going to do whatever is best for my political party, consistency be damned, reason be damned, democracy be damned. just admit it, there is no shaping the craven nest of this position.

but over the course of the debate, the leadership is going to try. we're going to hear some crazy things on the other side to defend the indefensible with the power grab we have it we have heard some of it a few minutes ago.s for going to hear a series of preposterous arguments that has somehow has to do with the orientation of the senate and the presidency as if that constitutes some legitimate principle. we'll do what the republicans have to do because democrats are beat doing far worse in the future. some, some view on that side. will at least have the dignity for putting their head down and plowings through it because they know there is no reason, no recent no argument no logic to justify flipping your position 180 degrees and calling it some kind of

principle. it is not an exercise of an raw political power, and nothing, nothing more i worry for the future of this chamber for the republican majority proceeds down this dangerous o path that the senate majority over the course of six years steals to supreme court seats using completely contradictory rationale, how could we expect to trust the other side again? how can we trust each other if when push comes to shove, when the stakes are the highest, the other side will doublecross their own standards when it is politically advantageous tell me how. tell me how this would not spell the end of this great deliberative body. because i don't see how. there's only one way, one way for this chamber to retain its

dignity through this difficult chapter. there is only one way for us to have some hope of coming together again. trusting a chow there again lowering the temperature, moving forward.wa and that is for four brave senate republicans to commit to rejecting any nominee until the next president is installed. that was justice ginsburg's dying wish and may be descendents only last hope. i yield the floor. >> mr. president, many here with incredibly heavy heart. justice ruth bader ginsburg, a tireless legendary champion of equality who is shaped our society for the better. paso and friday.