melania trump. watch first ladies in their own words, saturdays at 2 p.m. eastern on american history tv on c-span2, or listen to the series as a podcast on the c-span now free mobile app or wherever you get your podcasts. >> ♪♪ >> all this month, watch the top 21 winning videos from our c-span student cam video documentary competition. every morning before c-span's washington journal, we'll air one of the student cam winner whose documentary told how the federal government impacted their lives and you can watch the winning student cam documentaries anytime on-line at student cam.org. >> we'll particular you live to the u.s. capitol on this thursday morning. today the senate will vote to confirm judge ketanji brown jackson to the u.s. supreme court. a final vote for 1:45 eastern

today. judiciary chair dick durbin has asked all senators to be in their seats for that vote. this morning at 10 eastern lawmakers will vote on two bills, the first to suspend normal trade relations with russia and the second to ban oil imports from russia. live coverage of the u.s. senate here on c-span2. the presiding officer: the senate will come to order. the chaplain, dr. barry black, will lead the senate in prayer. the chaplain: let us pray. almighty god, we thank you for the throb of eternity within us,

reminding us that life is not measured by mere heartbeats. lord, we are grateful also that you continue to guide our nation and world. as you guide the migration of birds, so your hand guides us. help us on our journey to be warned from our past mistakes, as we continue to believe that the price for freedom remains eternal vigilance. lead us away from the illusion that we are standing strong and cannot repeat past failures. lord, keep our lawmakers

faithful to you and this land we love. may they strive to have a clear conscience before you and people. and, lord, we continue to pray for ukraine. we pray in your strong name, amen the presiding officer: please join me in reciting the pledge of allegiance. i pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. the presiding officer: the clerk will read a communication to the senate.

the clerk: washington, d.c., april 7, 2022. to the senate: under the provisions of rule 1, paragraph 3, of the standing rules of the senate, i hereby appoint the honorable gary peters, a senator from the state of michigan, to perform the duties of the chair. signed: patrick j. leahy, president pro tempore.

the presiding officer: under the previous order, the leadership time is reserved.

mr. schumer: mr. president? the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. schumer: i ask unanimous consent the quorum be dispense -- no, we don't need that. okay. mr. leader, i understand there is a bill at the desk that is due for a a second reading. the presiding officer: the clerk will read the title for the second time. the clerk: s. 402, a bill to codify in statute the expulsion order and so forth. mr. schumer: in order to place the bill on the calendar, under the provisions of rule 14, i would object to further proceedings. the presiding officer: objection having been heard, the bill will be placed on the calendar a. mr. schumer: now,

mr. president, this morning -- excuse me. mr. president, the senate gavels in this morning for a joyous, momentous, groundbreaking day. this morning we will vote to end debate on the nomination of judge ketanji brown jackson to be a justice on the united states supreme court, and later this afternoon, the senate will fulfill its constitutional duty to finally confirm this remarkable and groundbreaking jurist. the cloture vote is scheduled to take place at approximately 11:00 a.m., and we will aim to vote on final confirmation in the afternoon. the time depending on how many members wish to speak. today is a culmination, a culmination, for one, of six weeks for this chamber has examined and debated and questioned judge jackson on her record and her qualifications. every step of the way the judge has proved herself exceptionally qualified and thoughtful and prepared to serve on the court. as i have said, she encapsulates

the three b's -- brilliant, beloved, and belongs. she belongs on the supreme court. it is now up to us to finish the work that the president entrusted us to do. so today is also a joyous celebration in another way -- in the 233-year history of the supreme court, never, never has a black woman held the title of justice. ketanji brown jackson will be the first and i believe the first of more to come. this milestone should have happened generations ago, generations ago, but we are always trodding on a path towards a more perfect union. nevertheless, america today is taking a giant step towards making our union more perfect. people sometimes talking about standing on the shoulders of giants. well, judge jackson will go down in history as an american giant upon whose shoulders others will stand tall, and our democracy will be better off for it.

i'll have more to say later this afternoon prior to the final vote on the confirmation, but for now i want to thank chairman durbin, of the senate judiciary committee, for beautifully executing the nomination, all the members of the judiciary committee for their thoughtful and respectful -- all my democratic colleagues on the judiciary committee for their thoughtful and insightful examination of the judge's record, and i want to thank those republican senators who chose to take this process seriously. so, it's truly a joyous day, joyous for the senate, joyous for the court, joyous for america. let us finish the work today of confirming judge jackson finally to the supreme court of the united states. now, on the final day of the work period, the senate is going to pass a much-needed -- a much sought after piece of legislation, revoking russia of permanent normal trade relations with the united states. the legislation will go a long

way to landing a painful, severe blow on putin's economy. it will hinder his ability to keep funding his war machine, and adds russia as well as belarus to a list of nations, including north korea, that are ineligible for free trade with the united states. i want to thank my colleague from idaho, senator crapo, for working so closely with me, on into the night last night, to make sure that this got done. we will also vote separately on legislation regarding an oil ban, and i thank my colleagues who worked together to reach a compromise on this measure. we are moving forward today. putin must absolutely be held accountable for the detestable and despicable war crimes he is committing against ukraine. the images we have seen coming out of that country most recently out of the tune of bucha are pure, pure evil. hundreds of civilians murdered in cold blood. dozens of bodies of men, women,

children, defenseless, people with hands tied behind their backs and left in the streets. some bodies showed signs of torture. according to a new report by der spiegel, german intelligence believes these were discussed by russian troops over radio intercepts. why why we -- why were they killed? simply because they were ukrainians. many children, young people, women. no nation whose am irrelevant is committing war crime deserves free trade status with the united states. let me say that again. no nation whose military is committing war crimes deserves free trade status with the united states. no vile thug like putin deserves to stand as an equal with the leaders of the free world. he is a menace and a pariah who has ensured his place in history will be one of ever lasting shame. so, today's votes, approving pntr revocation, are significant. it is very important that the

senate pass this bill, and i said, i want to thank senator crapo, as well as senators manchin and cardin and wyden and murkowski and menendez and all others who worked in good faith with us on these measures. he with wouldn't have reached this outcome without their diligence and good faith. i want to close with a few thoughts on what the senate has accomplished over the past six weeks. there are two words that i believe perfectly summarize the work period we're about to conclude -- productive, bipartisan. in this work period alone, we passed a major postal reform bill over a decade in the making. we passed a bold and robust government funding package, which will help millions of americans in thousands of different ways. we passed critical emergency aid for the people of ukraine. we passed the emmett till antilynching bill after a century of waiting. and, topping it all off, we will confirm the 116th justice of the

united states supreme court. meanwhile, before i yield, i also want to applaud the administration's action in extending the pause on payments and interest to federal student loans. the pandemic continues to impact families economically, and that is why extension is critical for so many borrowers. while the extension provides relief, i continue to urge the president to use his existing authority and cancel up to $50,000 in debt in order to provide immediate relief to millions of borrowers, boost our economic recovery, and help the the -- help to narrow the racial wealth gap in our country. so it's been a very busy april. it's been a very busy march, the work period, and when we come back in may, it's going to be very busy again. we have a whole lot to do. i yield the floor. i yield -- the presiding officer: the morning business is closed.

under the previous order, the senate will proceed to executive session and resume consideration of the following nomination, which the clerk will report. the clerk: nomination, supreme court of the united states, ketanji brown jackson of the district of columbia to be an associate justice.

a senator: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from oregon. mr. wyden: i'm going to be very brief, around i want to echo what the majority leader said, particularly with respect to revoking permanent normal trade relations with russia. and the senate and those who are following this should understand that in just a few minutes, the senate is going to take another crucial step in bringing every tool of economic pressure to bear on vladimir putin and his

oligarch allies, and eng permanent normal trade relatione relations hammers home that putin has made russia into a full-fledged pariah state. as the leader noted, americans have been watching these atrocities, these brutal acts perpetrated by vladimir putin, day after day, on tv's, on their phones and the like, and now the senate is saying there is going to be clear, clear, clear evidence that what he has done has forfeited the right to normal trade relations. and i'll just wrap up by way of saying that when we get done on the senate finance committee, we're going to continue to work in a bipartisan way to send putin additional messages that

are going to rein in his economic power. in particular, i think it's high time to take away the subsidies he gets from american taxpayers for his war machine. that happens when you have an mesh company doing business in russia, they pay taxes to the russian government, and they get foreign tax credits. i don't believe the people of michigan or oregon or anywhere else believe that their tax dollars, hard-earned tax dollars, should be used to subsidize putin's war machine. so, this is a very important step today to making sure, as i indicated, we're putting in place every single economic tool to hammer putin and his oligarchs. i urge my colleagues, as senator schumer has just done, to vote yes, and i also want to thank the ranking minority member of

the finance committee. i talked to him a few minutes ago. he continues to do everything he can, every step of the way, to make this a bipartisan effort. that's the message we ought to send. i yield the floor, and urge colleagues to vote yes when we take away normal trade relations with russia here in a few minutes. i note the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call:

the presiding officer: the republican leader. mr. mcconnell: i ask that further proceedings on the quorum call be dispensed with. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: here's a quote from candidate biden's campaign website in 2020, quote, the u.s. has a right and a duty to secure

our borders and protect our people against threats, end quote. well, that was then, this is now. the biden administration's weak border policies set a new record in 2021. customs andcustoms and border pn had to make, listen to this, two million, two million arrests. and it doesn't appear that that new record will last long. 2022 is already trending even worse. c.b.p. is currently seeing about 7,000 encounters every single day, and they fear they could see as many as 18,000 per day, a truly staggering figure. to put this in perspective, president obama's former d.h.s.

secretary jeh johnson has reflected that a daily count above 1,000, above 1,000 was, quote, a relatively bad number, and i was going to be in a bad mood the whole day, reflecting back on his experience. now we're at seven times that figure and still climbing. it's the president's responsibility to fix this crisis, but this president is taking major steps to make it even worse. the biden administration has announced they will cancel legal authorities that have helped c.b.p. contend with these massive surges. a group of states, led by arizona, have explained in court that title 42 is, quote, the only, only safety valve preventing this administration's disastrous border policies from devolving into an unmitigated catastrophe. the administration's attempts to

explain why they're caving to the far left and throwing our borders open make no sense whatsoever. the white house keeps claiming this is a public health decision, they cannot keep title 42, leading you to ask why. democrats don't act like they think covid is finished. they give speeches daily about the need for more funding. they say we should be sending health assistance around the rest of the world. the only place on the planet where democrats say covid is over apparently is at our southern border. a growing number of house and senate democrats have expressed concern and anger over president biden's awful decision, but press releases are one thing. what matters is how people vote. senate democrats have taken every meaningful opportunity to

back the administration's border policies and vote down republican efforts to improve security. their votes have helped create this mess. we'll see if they finally change course and begin voting to help republicans end the crisis instead. now, on another matter, last week president biden released his budget request for next year. the president got to take a blank canvas and sketch his policy vision for the country. but in the critical area of defending our nation, the president's vision came up way, way short. even amidst a hot war in europe, bipartisan recognition of threats from china, northern korean missile proliferation, president biden proposes to underfund our armed forces.

even if democrats manage to magically get their runaway inflation under control faster than anyone predicts, their proposal would only flat-fund defense. while china keeps ramping their military spending way up, the biden budget would have america treading water, at best. more likely, if democrats' high inflation sticks around, the president's proposal would actually cut the military's purchasing power. as we speak, secretary austin, general milley, d.o.d. comptroller michael mccourt are testifying before the committee to provide some answers about their boss' baffling budget request. these senior leaders have the responsibility to be strong advocates within the administration for the resources that our servicemembers actually need. when the far left wanted president obama to slash military spending, secretary

leon panetta wage campaigned to stick up for our national defense. but if secretary austin is advocating for the military's bottom line, he is not doing it very effectively. the administration's proposed defense increase of 4% before inflation doesn't come anywhere near meeting our military's requirements to compete with china and preserve peace well into the future. yet the same budget lavishes a gigantic 14% increase on domestic discretionary spending. if our colleague, senator sanders, wrote a budget and gave the pentagon zero input or influence, it might not look much difference than the administration's actual product. so, madam president, the world is a dangerous place. china, russia, iran, north

korea, and other adversaries remind us of this basic fact every single day. our commander in chief needs to get with the program. now, on one final matter, the last few weeks have confirmed a pattern that has played out repeatedly in recent decades. when republican presidents make supreme court nominations, the far left and the media melt down absurd allegations, conspiracy theories, cheap gimmicks and apocalyptic rhetoric are all guaranteed. but when democratic presidents make nominations, senate republicans inquiry about past rulings and judicial philosophy, and the country gets the serious process it deserves. on tuesday, i explained how 30 years of escalation by democrats

ushered in this assertive period for the senate regarding judicial nominations. now and for the foreseeable future, the senate views itself as a copartner in the process. on wednesday, i walked through judge jackson's long and disturbing record of using judicial activism to go soft on crime. today i need to discuss how these disagreements affect the very bedrock of our republic. for multiple years now, the democratic party hazard waged an aggressive campaign to bully our independent justices and attack the legitimacy of their institution. when the plain text of our laws and constitution disappoint liberals' policy preferences, they mount radical campaigns to wreck the court itself.

this civic cancer began on the fringe, but it's quickly metastasized through their party. years ago democrats sent the court an absurd, absurd amicus brief threatening retribution for a a certain ruling. two years ago the democratic leader rallied with radicals on the court's steps and threatened multiple justices by name if they didn't produce the policy result he preferred. last year when fringe activists wanted to dig up the discredited concept of partisan court-packing, president biden lent it legitimacy with a presidential commission. now, just recently, the senate democratic whip said that his side's court-packing proposals don't matter because they lack 60 votes to pass the senate.

well, that was cold comfort considering the senator just voted to destroy the 60-vote threshold a few months back. so this nomination has occurred against a strange, strange backdrop. the senate democrats who spent weeks -- weeks -- praising judge jackson have spent year attacking her soon-to-be workplace. this is why i needed to hear judge jackson denounce court-packing. justices ginsburg and breyer had no trouble -- none -- condemning these schemes loudly as sitting justices. surely president biden can find himself an institutionalist in their mold. ah, but alas, judge jackson was the court-packers favorite pick

for the vacancies and she refused to follow the ginsburg-breyer model. she signaled the opposite. she said she'd be thrilled to be one of however many -- one of however many. the left's escalating war against the judiciary is a symptom of a profound misunderstanding. judicial activism sees the court as a third legislature. the left wants one policy-making body with 435 members, one with 100, and one that consists of nine lawyers. let me say that again. the left wants one policy-making body with 435 members, one with 100, and one that consists of nine lawyers. that isn't what the founders

created, and it's not what the american people signed up for. we've seen over and over that when judicial activism triumphs over fidelity to it the rule of law, our courts mutate -- mutate -- into clumsy proxy battlefields for arguments that belong in this chamber and out in 50 state legislatures. this is unfair to the american people, it damages our institutions, not the least the courts themselves. so there's only one way to lower the temperature, depoliticize the courts and protect the rule of law. confirming only judges who will honor the constitution and not supplant it. the road to a healthy court and a healthy country is not

striking some balance where some justices stick to the text and some justices try to make policy. the solution is for all the justices to stay in their lane. there's one right number of justices who seek to follow the law. the number is nine. ginsburg said it, breyer said it. there's one right number of justices who seek to make policy. zero. there are jurists and scholars with personal views across the political spectrum who understand that all judges should be textualists and constitutionalists in their day jobs, and that must be the senate's standard. i see hallmarks of judicial activism in judge jackson's record. therefore, i will vote no.

nevertheless, our democratic colleagues are on track to confirm our next supreme court justice. and you know what won't happen? top republicans will not imply she's illegitimate. we will not call for court-packing. i won't be joining any mobs outside her new workplace and threatening her by name. democrats must stop their political siege of the institution that judge jackson is about to join. they must stop their assault on judicial independence. we're about to have a new justice whose fan club has openly attacked the rule of law. so judge jackson will quickly face a fork in the road. one approach to her new job would delight the far left.

a different approach would honor the separation of powers and the constitution. the soon-to-be justice can either satisfy her radical fan club or help preserve the judiciary that americans need, but not both. i'm afraid the nominee's record tells us which is likely, but i hope judge jackson proves me wrong. the presiding officer: under the previous order, the senate will resume legislative session and proceed to consideration of h.r. 6968 and h.r. 7108 en bloc, which the clerk will report. the clerk: calendar number 312, h.r. 6968, an act to prohibit the importation of energy products of the russian federation and for other purposes. calendar number 313, h.r. 17 --

h.r. 7108, an act to suspend normal trade relations with russia and for other purposes. the presiding officer: under the previous order, amendment number 5021 to h.r. 6968 and amendment number 5020 to h.r. 7108 are agreed to and the bills, as amended, are considered and read a third time. the question occurs on the passage of h.r. 7108, as amended. is there a sufficient second? there appears to be. the clerk will call the roll. vote:

vote:

vote:

vote:

the presiding officer: on is this vote, the yeas are 100. the nays are zero. the bill, as amended, is passed. the question occurs on passage of h.r. 6968, as amended. a senator: i ask for the yeas and nays. the presiding officer: is there a sufficient second? there appears to be.

the clerk will call the roll. vote:

vote:

vote:

vote:

the presiding officer: does anyone wish to change their vote? then the yeas are 100, the nays are zero. the bill, as amended, is passed. under the previous order, the senate will resume executive session. the clerk will report the motion to invoke cloture. the clerk: cloture motion, we, the undersigned senators, in accordance with the provisions of rule 22 of the standing rules of the senate, do hereby bring to a close debate on the nomination of executive calendar number 860, -- judge brown

jackson to be a supreme court of the united states. the presiding officer: by unanimous consent, the mandatory quorum call has been waived. the question is, is it the sense of the senate that debate on the nomination of ketanji brown jackson of the district of columbia to be an associate justice of the supreme court of the united states shall be brought to a close. the yeas and nays are mandatory under the rule. the clerk will call the roll. vote:

jackson. vote:

vote:

vote:

the presiding officer: are there any senators in the chamber wishing to vote or change his or her vote? on this vote, the yeas are 53, the nays are 47. and the motion is agreed to. mr. leahy: mr. president? the presiding officer: the

senior senator from vermont. mr. leahy: thank you, mr. president. today is an historic day. today each member of the senate will have the opportunity to cast a vote on the nomination of judge ketanji brown jackson to be an associate justice of the united states supreme court. i say historic because throughout our nation's history, only 115 people have served on the supreme court. until now, only five of the supreme court justices have been women. only two of the justices have been black, and none has been a black woman. so history, indeed, and long overdue. but i'm not going to cast my vote in support of judge jackson's confirmation because

she is a woman or because she is black. i will cast that vote because she is imminently qualified to serve in the position to which she's been nominated. her nomination shouldn't just be welcomed, it should be celebrated. it's a major step forward for our democracy. it's further widening the lens to help make our nation more inclusive with each passing generation. she is one of the most qualified nominees of the supreme court that i have ever considered in my 48 years here. graduate of harvard and harvard law school, a judicial clerk at the district circuit and supreme court levels, a federal appellate judge, a federal district court judge, a member of the u.s. sentencing commission, an attorney in private practice, and she'll be the first ever justice who has served as a public defender, bringing that much-needed

perspective to the court. no one -- no one -- can argue that judge jackson is not objectively qualified to be confirmed. and the manufactured accusations that are thrown at her by some of our committee during our hearings not only fell flat but they've been refuted and debunked by serious voices across the political spectrum. they hold no water. they serve only to showcase the vitro only and -- vitriol. i said it during the hearings, and i'd say it again -- it is distressing, it is disheartening, and as the dean of the senate, it is saddening. yet i find hope in the fact that judge jackson's confirmation to our highest court will have the

bipartisan support it deserves, that it commands. i commend the republican senators who have lauded her qualifications and staked their -- and state their support of her nomination. judge jackson has earned the president's nomination, and she has earned confirmation from the senate. each and every day millions of american families are living their lives, and how they live those lives, from the salaries they make and the education their children receive and scores of issues in between are directly impacted by the decisions made at the supreme court. and the supreme court -- in the supreme court, in fact all of our courts, can't be ivy towers successful to and bending to the will of a select few in our society. they have to be accountable to all -- all, all americans.

to do so, they must reflect the diversity of our nation, the diversity that's at the foundation of our democracy, diversity of gender, of race, of creed, of education, and history. but also diversity of thought and life experiences. judge jackson brings that and more to the bench. mr. president, i'm proud to be the president pro tempore of the senate, and i was proud to have chaired the senate judiciary committee in the past. in that regard, i voted for the first woman to ever serve on the supreme court. i voted for the first latina to serve on the supreme court. i voted on thousands of judicial nominations, nominees of both republican and democratic presidents. i voted for nominations to the

supreme court who were put forward by republican presidents. i've long lamented the increasing political gamesmanship that's infected our current confirmation process. and many times on this floor i've warned about the dire consequences for our courts and for our democracy by converting our confirmation process into a zero-sum game where one party wins and one party loses. but to change that game of gamesmanship requires that we have some adults in the room. we all come here not to score a trending tweet but to do our jobs. there's only a hadn't of us that represent in -- there's only a hundred of us that represent in whole country. i've taken a clear look at judge jackson's record. i heard her testimony two weeks

ago. i met are her. i read opinions that she has written. i've spent hours listening to her. i saw her intellect, her humility, her temperament on full display. mr. president, she is he's the justice we -- she's the justice we need now. for americans today, for the generations to come, for our children and our grandchildren, for all of us, i will cast my vote to confirm judge jackson, and i'll do it proudly. and i hope the senate can rise to this moment. i hope it can be the deliberative body the founders envisioned when they conceived of this great experiment. our independent judiciary, in fact, our democracy demand it of us.

mr. president, history will remember the votes cast here today. i will proudly vote aye. i yield the floor. mr. warnock: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from georgia. mr. warnock: mr. president, i rise today to express my joy in voting to confirm judge ketanji brown jackson to the united states supreme court. what a great day it is for the

united states of america, for our system of government, and the grand march toward the fulfillment of the sacred covenant we have with one another as an american people -- e pluribus unum, out of many. -- out of many, one. ketanji brown jackson's improbable journey to the nation's highest court is a reflection of our own journey through fits and starts towards the nation's highest ideals. she embodies the ark of our history. a product of public schools, both her parents attended segregated primary schools, before graduating graduating frm historically black colleges and

universities, she is a two-time graduate of harvard, a former clerk to supreme court justice breyer, to whom the nation owes enormous thanks for his decades of public service. a former federal public defender, who would be the first of her kind to serve on the supreme court. a jurist who has gone before the senate on three separate occasions and each time has garnered strong bipartisan support. a judge who has heard cases both in the u.s. district court and our federal court of appeals. a judge who has the strong endorsement of critical stakeholders from across our justice system -- from the american bar association to those who advocate for civil

rights -- to those who advocate for civil rights, to organizations representing our nation's brave law enforcement officers, all of them respect ketanji brown jackson. she is shea a wife and a work -- she's had a wife and a working mom. she is america at its best. that i believe in my heart, after meeting with her in my office, talking to folks whom i trust to know her and hearing her testimony before the senate judiciary committee. under intense questioning before the committee, much of it appropriate and necessary, some of it outrageous and beyond the pale, she demonstrated her legal acumen, sharp intellect, and the kind of temperament we need on

the bench, especially at a time like this. if there were any doubts about her character, she more than proved her poise, her skill, composure, and the depth of her patriotism. -- through the process. amazing grace under pressure. as a voice for georgians in the senate, i've said from the beginning that people in my state want someone on the court who is fair, imminently qualified, and has a record of protecting the constitutional rights and freedoms of georgians and americans. that's why my office has received thousands of e-mails and phone calls from georgians in every corner of our state voicing their support for judge jackson's confirmation.

so, after hearing from georgians and thoroughly evaluating her nomination, i'm ecstatic to say that judge jackson is an excellent jurist who has the temperament and discernment to sit on our nation's highest court. mr. president, the people of georgia made this appointment possible. by making history last year. so in addition to thanking georgia for this moment, i want to acknowledge that the historic nature of her appointment isn't lost on me. like my brother, senator booker, i know what it has taken for judge jackson to get to this moment, and nobody's going to steal my joy. yes, i'm a senator, i'm a

pastor, but beyond all of that, i'm the father of a young black girl. i know how much it means for judge jackson to have navigated the double jeopardy of racism and sexism to now stand in the glory of this moment in all of her excellence. for my five-year-old daughter and for so many young women in our country, but really if we're thinking about it right, for all of us, seeing judge jackson aascend to the supreme court reflects the promise of progress on which our democracy rests. so what a great day it is in america. today the word of justice and equal protection under the law

becomes flesh and lives among us in new ways. today at the highest levels of our government, the administration of our constitution looks a little bit more like what it says. and it fills me with great pride for our country, how far we have come and what we can achieve together. judge ketanji brown jackson is beyond qualified, and i'm beyond thrilled to speak for georgia in voting to confirm her to the united states supreme court. thanks, mr. president. i yield the floor. a senator: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from new hampshire. mrs. shaheen: mr. president,

while we all gather to acknowledge this historic day and prepare to vote to, in my case at least --. ms. hassan: i rise to bring up another issue. i rise today to urge my colleagues to pass into law commonsense legislation to bring down oil and gas costs for americans. as many of my colleagues have discussed on this floor, americans across the country, including in my state of new hampshire, are facing higher costs from the grocery store to the gas pump. as we work together to build a stronger, more resilient economy that strengthens our supply chains and invests in american manufacturing, we must also bring relief to american families right now. an issue that has become even more urgent in the wake of russia's invasion of ukraine which has sent gas prices soaring. as we continue to counter

putin's aggression and inflationary challenges facing our economy, we have an obligation to work together to bring down costs. that's why i'm working to hold big oil accountable for profiting off of the pain that americans are experiencing at the pump. and that's why i've pushed the administration to release oil from the strategic petroleum reserve, an action i was glad to see the administration take again just last week. as we look at all options to bring down costs, one clear way to provide immediate relief is by suspending the gas tax for the remainder of this year. earlier this year my colleagues and i introduced a bill to do exactly that. the gas prices relief act will temporarily suspend the federal gas tax through the end of the year, helping bring economic relief to families. mr. president, as if in

legislative session, i ask unanimous consent that the finance committee be discharged and the senate proceed to the immediate consideration of senate bill 3609, that the bill be considered read a third time and passed, and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. the presiding officer: is there objection? a senator: mr. president. reserve the right to object. mr. crapo: let me begin by saying my friends and colleagues across the aisle are right about one thing. gas prices are incredibly high right now in this country. the effort to blame this on what's happened in ukraine, however, overlooks the real cause on the phenomenal rise in prices we've seen before putin invaded. definitely the invasion did increase pressure on gas prices, but the problem is that this administration's policies have dramatically reduced the supply in the united states,

and americans across this country know how supply and demand impacts price. the gas tax holiday that is now being proposed is not a solution. it is a political gimmick that would not stop skyrocketing gas prices or inflation. in fact, larry summers said in a "wall street journal" podcast, i think a gas tax idea is saved only by its triviality from being one of the worst public policy ideas of the decade. it will have little effect over any reasonable horizon on prices. it will be counter productive from an environmental point of view. it is the ultimate policy gimmick. rather than accept responsibility for 14 months of reckless spending or the more than 40% increase in gas prices that had already occurred before the russian invasion, democrats want to blame higher gas prices

on the russian invasion or corporate greed. they also want to ignore the consequences of their relentless attacks on the american oil and gas industry, the administration's overly bureaucratic permit and regulatory progress for domestic energy products and misguided decisions like canceling the keystone x.l. pipeline. the solution to rising gas prices is not a tax holiday, which would offer little relief but threaten infrastructure investments and worsen our national debt situation. nor is the solution a tax on american companies who increase their production of oil and gas to try to help us become more energy independent. nor is it stimulus checks which have the potential as the past ones have to increase gas prices even further and push inflation even higher. nor is it to encourage other hostile regimes to produce more

oil. the only lasting solution to our current problems is to bolster american oil and gas production to replace not only russian imports, but to facilitate exports to support our allies and end their dependence on russia. indeed, i along with a number of my republican colleagues have sponsored proposals to enhance u.s. energy independence and undo many of president biden's misguided energy policies. republicans believe we can and should be doing more to unleash america's domestic energy potential, reduce reliance on volatile foreign actors like russia, and deliver cost savings to middle-class families across the country. hardworking american families need real relief, not political gimmicks, and that's why i oppose this gas tax holiday. i urge my democratic colleagues to abandon the reckless spending

and tax policies that have failed but seem to be contemplated in the president's new budget and support things that will lower prices for everyday americans. for those reasons, i do object. the presiding officer: the objection is heard. ms. hassan: mr. president, before i wrap up i want to say what you just heard, what the american people heard is talking points out of big oil's playbook. a gas tax holiday is a commonsense solution that would provide immediate relief for granite staters and americans across the country. big oil holds thousands of unused permits at their fingertips that they could use right now to increase supply, and instead what is happening is big oil is padding its pockets at the expense of americans. and let's be clear, this would not take a dime out of the highway trust fund because this bill instructs treasury to replenish the trust fund,

something it has done half a dozen times in about the last decade. this is something that has bipartisan support across the country, democratic and republican governors, democratic and republican legislatures are moving to suspend their gas taxes. this is something we could do right now to help american families balance their budgets and make ends meet. so while i am disappointed to see my colleague block this critical legislation, i will keep working to bring down costs for american families and get this bill passed. mr. schumer: mr. president. the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. schumer: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that all postcloture time on the jackson nomination expire at 1:45 p.m. today. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: and, mr. president, for the information of the senate, there will be a roll call vote at 1:45 p.m. today on confirmation of the nomination of ketanji brown jackson to be

an associate justice of the supreme court of the united states. senators are encouraged to be seated prior to the start of the vote and are encouraged to cast their vote from their desk. i yield the floor.

power the parent should have to choose their child's school. the u.s. department of education has decided to disregard what's in the best interest of the student with a new proposed rule that requires new requirements for applicants completely unrelated it to student outcomes. applicants would have to demonstrate an unmet need for charter school, provide evidence of overenrollment at existing public schools in order to to enrole in a school. it seems there are bear dwroars opening up a -- barrier to opening up charter schools.

our charter schools are under threat from the far left and from teachers union who seek to shut them down because charter school staff are difficult to unionize. they know it is harder to spread their influence in charter schools. in some cases, it is impossible to unionize and they know the fewer charter schools, the less revenue. take power away from parents with layers of new bureaucracy and government regulation. we should not let that happen. let's put this in perspective. since the pandemic began, it's charter schools that have seen a bigger demand.

and we know that open schools are better for children. parents should have the power to send their child to a school where they feel like they, the parent, have a voice and where they know their child is more likely to succeed. now, let's be clear who this rule is written for. not for the parent and not for the child. it is not written to help the student, it is written to help unions exercise more control over a student's life. this rule makes no mention of how many of these new restrictions improve student achievement or actually helps students. and at a time when students are falling behind in record numbers, we need new and innovative approaches to our education system, not just hand the keys over to a special interest group. these rules will give less choice to families, hold students back and do more harm than good. the charter school program has

enjoyed bipartisan support for nearly 30 years. any substantial change to the program should go through congress an receive thoughtful consideration and parent choice for the school their child attends should not be gutted by an informal committee of union employees and education department officials. those of us who care about the student, those of us who see the role of charter schools, we have one message to secretary of education cardona, back off of our charter schools. with that, i yield. and, mr. president, i now ask that the second part of my remarks be entered into the record as if a separate -- the presiding officer: without objection. mr. cassidy: thank you. mr. president, i want to take a moment to recognize the career of a beloved and trusted louisianan journalist, radio host and friend to all, robert j. wright of shreveport,

louisiana. after 50 years in radio, robert announced he retires next month. his last day is friday, april 29, one day after his 70th birthday. he is a masterful storyteller and critical thinker, always finding the other side of a story. he's a voice of reason and always delivers the truth. he took his first job in radio while he with was in college. he said it was indoors and you didn't have to carry stuff. about as good a summary of a good job as you could ever scflt he went on to -- ask. he went on to host shows in orlando. and then came back to shreveport and was part of northwest louisiana's morning commute for

30 years. he has been in the town square of shreveport since. he will be missed. he is part of the daily routine as much as a cup of coffee. when you hear from robert, you know you are listening to someone who cares about his community. he has earned the time and trust of his listeners. congratulations to robert j. wright on an impressive and meaningful career. there are many pretty upset about this news and that is a testament to the positive impact you've had on our community. robert, we in louisiana wish you a happy and well-earned retirement. with that, i yield the floor.

mr. grassley: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator for iowa. mr. grassley: soon we'll be voting on judge jackson's nomination, and i'd like to explain why i'm voting so -- against her appointment to the supreme court. since the white house announced judge jackson's nomination, i have emphasized the need for a thorough and fair process. unfortunately, the majority party weren't concerned about the rigorous examination of her record. the white house and the majority party have shielded important information. we don't have any nonpublic document from her time at the sentencing commission and the obama white house held back more than 48,000 pages.

judge jackson also gave the white house confidential nonpublic probation recommendations for some of her cases, but when we asked about a probation document filed on the hawkins case, judge jackson claimed that she was not able to access records for her old cases because that was allegedly because she was no longer on the district court. and we now know that she sits on the d.c. circuit court of appeals. now, if that's true, there are many unanswered questions about how information the white house thought was helpful was so easily obtained. so we should take into account that all the helpful information has already been leaked.

that brings me to the merits of judge jackson's nomination. for judicial nominees, their philosophy ought to decide how -- how to decide cases ought to be a primary consideration. part of having a judicial philosophy is having an understanding of the fundamental principles of our constitution. natural rights are a part of that system. judge jackson explained to us that she does not, quote, hold a position on whether individuals suppose natural rights. now, that ought to be very shocking. natural rights are basic to our constitutional system and principles of limited government. because we all know our country was founded on the belief that's

expressed in the declaration of independence, all men are created equal and they're endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights. among these are the life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. and that was further nailed down in the constitution of the united states. our constitution vests the three branches of government with very limited power. all powers -- all other powers not given to the federal government are reserved for the states and to the people thereof. the principle of limited government is what makes america an exceptional nation and sets

our constitution apart. judges must have a proper understanding of those basic principles and the way judge jackson answered those questions, particularly the answers she gave to senator cruz, shows that she lacks that very necessary foundation. now i want to go on to a few other examples. at the hearing, judge jackson testified about one of her decisions involving the first step act. in that case prosecutors had rock solid evidence against a dangerous drug kingpin. but judge jackson was displeased the government pursued a mandatory minimum sentence. so she misused a motion for

compassionate release to resentence that person to a sentence she thought he deserved. as the lead author of the first step act, i know that's not what we wrote the statute to do. the act was supposed to allow elderly inmates and those suffering from terminal illness to petition the court for a sentence reduction. the statute also allows for a reduction if the court finds an extraordinary and compelling reason, judges should use great discretion. judges should weigh against the charge, the dangers to society and the risk of recidivism. at her hearing, judge jackson said that she based her extraordinary and compelling finding on the nonretroactive

changes to the law. this radical interpretation is terrible and dangerous. congress chose which provisions the first step act would apply retroactively. the senate is currently considering legislation that i cosponsored with chairman durbin that makes some of the first step act provisions retroactive retroactive, but that's congress' role, not judge jackson's role. senator durbin and i wouldn't have been able to broker a compromise on that legislation if senators thought the judges would rewrite the law and insert their own views from the bench. decisions like this will make bipartisan work, particularly on criminal justice reform,

harder to do. that case by the name of young is just one example of judge jackson's lenient approach to criminal law and sentencing. she also declined to apply a number of sentencing enhancements that congress put into the sentencing guidelines. a case by the name of make the road new york v. mack -- mack a lean is another case that shows how judge jackson used the result to contradict the context of the law. congress gave the secretary of homeland security -- and these are the words from the law -- sole and unrereviewable discretion to decide whether illegal immigrants should be subject to expedited removal

within two years. judge jackson reviewed the agency's decision anyway, and it seems clear why. she went out of her lane to comment on the policy as, in her words, a terrible proposal. and she claimed that the government made an argument that wreaks of bad faith, wreaks of bad faith are her words. in fact, her decision and her rhetoric are unfounded. so that's why her decision earned a strong rebuke from the panel of liberal and conservative judges when she was reversed by the d.c. circuit. judge millet, an obama appointee, explained it this way in the opinion, quote, there could hardly be a more

definitive expression of congressional intent than sole and unreviewable discretion. these are just a few examples of judge jackson's judicial activism, because her record clearly shows she does not leave in or act within the limited or proper role of a judge. so i will vote against her confirmation. i yield the floor. mr. durbin: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from illinois. mr. durbin: mr. president, this capitol building has served as the backdrop for some of the most notable moments in america's history. in this building, wars have been declared, peace treaties have been signed, and the march toward progress has either moved forward or has been stopped in

its tracks. today the members of this senate have the opportunity to take a monumental step forward. we will vote to confirm a once-in-a-generation legal talent, a jurist with outstanding credentials and a lifetime of experience and the first ever african american woman to serve as justice of the supreme court, judge ketanji brown jackson. judge jackson's confirmation will be a glass-shattering achievement for america. consider this moment in history -- when the supreme court first met in this building in february of 1801, there were one million slaves in this nation, a nation of five million people. this very building was built with the labor of enslaved

people. and at the time the court met, neither black americans nor white women had a constitutionally guaranteed right to vote. women had no place in that first supreme court chamber, and black women would only enter to clean it in the dark of the night. we know what followed. america's battle to end slavery saw a bloody civil war, decades of efforts to break down racial barriers, and the efforts continue to this day. and our struggle to enfranchise and empower women did not end with the 19th amendment 102 years ago. it continues to this day as well, as we strive to give our daughters the same opportunities we give our sons. this confirmation of the first black woman to the supreme court honors the history that has come before it. it honors the struggles of the past of the men and women who

waged them. and this confirmation draws america one step closer -- one step to healing our nation, one step closer to a more perfect union. nearly a century after our founding, we guaranteed the rights of citizenship finally to every american, including for the first time those who were born into bondage with the ratification of the 14th amendment. it took a long century later for us to expand the bounds of liberty again. we ensured the federal government could vigorously protect the right to vote, the most fundamental of rights, with the passage of the voting rights act of 1967. one victory for progress beget the next. two years after the voting rights act, we confirmed the first black american to ever serve on the supreme court -- justice thurgood marshall. but i'd like to remind you, that's 50 years ago.

now with the passage of that time, we are beginning to write another chapter in our nation's quest for equal justice under the law, and that chapter begins with three letters -- k kbj. with judge ketanji brown jackson to the highest court of the land, elevating one of our nation's best and brightest legal minds to an honored position of service. there is no one more deserving of this high honor. as we've learned over the past month, she is the best of us. she has devoted her life to serving our country. she's done so at every level of the federal judiciary, and at every turn she's distinguished herself. when i hear the critics say she's soft on crime, i wonder how they explain that she was endorsed by the largest law enforcement agency and

organization in america, the fraternal order of police, as well as the international chiefs of police, as well as an army of federal prosecutors who have appeared in her courts. she's dedicated to protecting judicial independence, to advancing freedom and liberty, and deciding every case as, she says, from a neutral posture. that's exactly what you'll find in evaluating nearly ten years of service on the bench. i hear senators come to the floor and say, well, there's one opinion i disagree with. for goodness sakes, she's issued almost 600 written opinions in ten years on the bench in the district court. she's been reversed a small percentage of the time. her work speaks for itself. and when you evaluate it, you'll find out she's thoughtful and even handed. as the american people saw during last month's hearing in the judiciary committee, judge jackson has the right judicial

temprament. she answered every question even when the questions were hostile and confrontational. she answered them with dignity and grace and stood by for more than 24 hours of questioning. she's a proven consensus builder. she's been confirmed by the senate on a bipartisan basis three times and soon we hope she'll be confirmed again by a bipartisan majority. she's earned the support from leaders across the political and ideological spectrum, civil rights leaders, leaders in law enforcement, former federal judges appointed by democrats and republicans. all of them have lined up proudly to endorse her. perhaps most importantly, justice jackson will help ensure that the law works for the people and that the people understand the workings of the court. for many americans, what happens in a courtroom can be cold and impersonal. judge jackson has made a habit of making it real.

she looks people in the eye, walks them through her decision-making with patience and empathy, and she reaches every one of her decisions by following the facts and the law wherever they lead. she said that her opinions can run long. that's by design, because she wants america to rest assured whether she writes in the majority of the concurrence or dissent, they want to know exactly where she stands on the most important issues. serving as chair of the senate judiciary committee during judge jackson's confirmation has been one of the highest honors of my senate experience. i want to give a special thanks to the man who spoke before me, republican senator chuck grassley of iowa. his friendship and fairness have really guided our relationship throughout this historic process. in the weeks since president biden announced her nomination, judge jackson has already lifted the spirit of countless americans, inspiring a new generation of aspiring jurists and public servants, millions

of americans see themselves in judge jackson -- black americans, members of law enforcement families, working moms, public high school graduates like her fellow palmetto panthers in it florida. everywhere i've gone for the last few weeks when i go home, visiting law schools, going to the grocery store, i've been approached by people who have been following this nomination closely. they tell me how deeply impressed they are with judge jackson, even under fire from her critics. hannah munson is one of those people. she's a law student in waukegan, illinois, a city on the shores of lake michigan. in a letter to my office, hannah wrote, and i quote her in saying, if you can see it, you can be it. and i'm very excited to see america's first black female justice. rev rend christa allson is a baptist minister in chicago. comes from a long line of baptist ministers. she calls herself a civil rights

baby. born in 1964, the year l.b.j. signed the civil rights act. ricki jones is also from chicago, working for civil rights for nearly 60 years since she was a teenager. late last month rev rend allston and ricki jones drove 11 hours from chicago to attend an hour of judge jackson's hearing. reverend allston said she imagined what it will be like years from now to tell her future grandchildren what it was like to be nbltions room for that historic -- in that room for that historic moment. ricki jones said she never even expected to hear about a black woman being nominated to the supreme court, let alone to be in the room for her hearing. she said as she watched judge jackson, it felt like the fulfillment of everything i've worked for my whole life. she thought of all the strong black women who came before her and helped make the movement

possible. sojourner truth, harriet tubman, idab. wells and my personal late friend, the reverend willie barrow, a block woman minister from chicago who worked alongside dr. martin luther king. this moment was about them too, she said. and this moment was possible because of judge jackson and who she is. her qualifications, her dignity -- integrity and record of splens. excellence. that is why it is important several members on the judiciary committee did not approach judge jackson's hearing with that same level of fairness and respect as their colleagues. thankfully there are members of the senate who are willing to rise above the partisan fray. i want to particularly commend senator susan collins of maine, senator lisa murkowski of alaska and senator mitt romney for