WASHINGTON (LEX 18) – U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered remarks in response to the Senate’s confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court.
McConnell called Kavanaugh among the best the nation has to offer, saying he will make an excellent Supreme Court Justice.
McConnell has been very vocal in his support of Kavanaugh throughout his nomination, despite 3 women accusing Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct several decades ago.
McConnell continued to push to move forward with the vote on Kavanaugh, while Democrats called for a further FBI probe into the allegations.
Here’s McConnell’s full written statement:
“The Constitution of the United States was made not merely for the generation that then existed, but for posterity…
“Those are the words of Henry Clay, Kentucky’s own. They underscore that the decision United States Senators will make today will echo in the history of our nation.
“The very survival of our constitutional form of government requires an expert and independent judiciary. Without fair and impartial ‘courts of justice,’ as Alexander Hamilton put it in the Federalist Papers, ‘all the reservations of particular rights or privileges would amount to nothing.’
“The courts guard our rights. And the Senate guards our courts. That is why today is such an important day. That is why the vote we will take this afternoon — a vote to confirm a new Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States — represents one of the most consequential decisions a Senator can make.
“The members of this body are duty-bound to ensure we confirm justices of the Supreme Court who are men and women of the highest character and the most superlative qualifications.
“Fortunately, that is just the sort of nominee who stands before us today. Twelve weeks ago, the president nominated a jurist who has been described by legal peers of all political stripes as ‘a superstar’ and a ‘serious scholar’ who is ‘legendary for his preparation’ and possesses ‘the qualifications, the temperament, and judicial philosophy to be an excellent Associate Justice.’ The president nominated a brilliant student of the law. Those who taught and knew the nominee at Yale say ‘it is hard to name anyone with judicial credentials as strong as Judge Kavanaugh.’They describe a ‘true intellectual,’ ‘a leading thinker,’ and a ‘wonderful mentor and teacher.’ And those he’s mentored — a diverse group of bright young lawyers who have clerked for Judge Kavanaugh — talk about his work ethic, his ‘unflinchingly honest advice,’ and his ‘fundamental humility.’”
“For twelve weeks, the Senate has seen that this is not empty praise.”
“We’ve seen the legendary preparation of a tireless judge. We’ve seen the patience of a committed mentor and teacher. We’ve seen the humility of a true intellectual, who let his record speak for itself. Each of us have seen this for ourselves. Every Senator who came into this process with an open mind have seen that very same Brett Kavanaugh firsthand. We have seen his brilliance and painstaking thoroughness on display in the 300-plus opinions he issued on the D.C. Circuit. For 12 years, Judge Kavanaugh excelled on the bench that many experts see as the second-most-important court in our nation.”
“We have seen his geniality and kindness firsthand in our private meetings with the nominee — precisely the collegial approach that is so necessary on the Court. We have seen his professional excellence as we reviewed more pages of documents pertaining to Judge Kavanaugh’s career than for any other Supreme Court nomination in our history — pages that depict a meticulous and dedicated public servant. And, yes, we have now studied the results of seven FBI background investigations — inquiries that have produced no evidence whatsoever to corroborate any prior misconduct, but rather, are consistent with all we know about this nominee’s sterling character.”
“This historically tall mountain of evidence adds up to one clear message — Judge Brett Kavanaugh is among the very best our nation has to offer. He will make the Senate and the country proud. He will serve with distinction on our highest court. He unquestionably deserves confirmation. And the country deserves such a Supreme Court Justice.
“As I’ve explained, the stakes are always high where a Supreme Court confirmation is concerned. But this time, the stakes are even higher.I can’t sum this up any better than our friend and distinguished colleague, the senior Senator from Maine, put it in her historic remarks yesterday. Here’s how she put it: ‘It is when passions are most inflamed that fairness is most in jeopardy.’ We all know the events of recent weeks have strained the Senate’s comity and fanned the flames of partisan discord. But, even more critically, our very commitment to the basic principles of fairness and justice was also tested.”
“A vote to confirm Judge Kavanaugh today is also a vote to send a clear message about what the Senate is. This is an institution where the evidence and the facts matter, This is a chamber in which the politics of intimidation and personal destruction do not win the day, This is a body whose members themselves uphold the same commitment to American justice that we seek in the judges we examine.”
“A vote to confirm Judge Kavanaugh today is a vote to end this brief, dark chapter in the Senate’s history and turn the page toward a brighter tomorrow. The chamber we are privileged to occupy is often called the world’s greatest deliberative bodyfor good reason. When the rubber meets the road, when the hour is critical, when a historic precedent needs to be set — the United States Senate most often finds its way to doing what is right. Today, we can honor that history. We can vote to turn away from the darkness. We can vote to set a precedent about fairness and judgment that will define this body for the better.”
“We can vote to confirm an excellent Supreme Court Justice who will make the Senate and the American people proud.”
