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Floor Speech

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Ms. BALDWIN. I rise today in strong support of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson's confirmation as our Nation's next Justice on the U.S. Supreme Court.

Oftentimes, the debate in the Senate on judicial nominations loses sight of the personal stories of those who are put before us, so let me start there.

Let me start by talking about where Ketanji Brown Jackson came from to reach this extraordinary point where we are poised to write an important chapter of progress in our Nation's history.

Ketanji Brown Jackson was born in our Nation's Capital and grew up in Miami. She is the daughter of two former public school teachers, who themselves were raised in the Jim Crow South. Two of Judge Jackson's uncles were police officers in Miami, one who ultimately became the police chief. Her brother served in the U.S. Army and as a police officer in Baltimore.

Judge Jackson attended public school in the Miami-Dade County school system. She credits her father for starting her on a path to the law, as he went back to school to earn a law degree and became a lawyer working for the school board.

Family, education, hard work, public service, all guiding Judge Jackson on the path that brought her to this moment, to today.

She was elected mayor of her junior high school class and president of her high school class. She grew to be a standout on the speech and debate team. And when her high school counselor told her not to set her sights too high, she never accepted the limits of others--she persevered.

Judge Jackson went to Harvard where she graduated magna cum laude. She went to Harvard Law School where she was a top student and editor of the prestigious Law Review.

Following graduation from law school, this nominee worked for three consecutive Federal judges, culminating with a clerkship from 1999 to 2000 for Supreme Court Justice Breyer.

As Judge Jackson has said, this is the lesson she took from her experience:

Justice Breyer exemplified every day, in every way, that a Supreme Court Justice can perform at the highest level of skill and integrity while also being guided by civility, grace, pragmatism and generosity of spirit.

Guided by her belief in the power and promise of the Constitution and this Nation's founding principles--freedom, liberty, and equality-- Judge Jackson went on to serve as an assistant Federal public defender in the DC Circuit, representing defendants who did not have the means to pay for a lawyer.

When confirmed, Judge Jackson will be the first former Federal public defender to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. And to me, this is an extremely important qualification that Judge Jackson holds and will bring with her to the Supreme Court.

As a former public defender, she had firsthand experience delivering the Constitution's promise of due process. This promise, given to all Americans without regard to financial means or political connections, is an essential element of our system of justice.

We all should want this experience and the perspective it brings on our highest Court because it is a fundamental protection in our justice system.

Judge Jackson has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate three times previously. She was first confirmed by the Senate to serve as the Vice Chair of the U.S. Sentencing Commission. Following in the footsteps of Justice Breyer, she would become the only member of the current Court who previously served as a member of that bipartisan, independent commission dedicated to reducing sentencing disparities and promoting transparency and proportionality in sentencing.

Next, after President Obama nominated Judge Jackson to be a district court judge for the District of Columbia, she was once again confirmed by the U.S. Senate in 2013. During Judge Jackson's 8 years on the bench as a district judge, she issued more than 500 written opinions. And last year, she was again confirmed by the U.S. Senate with bipartisan support to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

In confirming her to each of these positions, the Senate voiced its confidence in Judge Jackson's character, integrity, and intelligence. Experience matters, and the fact is, Judge Jackson is as qualified and experienced in the law as any nominee in our Nation's history, bringing more experience as a judge than four of the current Justices did combined at the time they joined the Court. This strong experience has provided her a clear understanding of the role of a judge and the role of the judiciary in our system of government.

As she has said herself, ``A judge has a duty to decide cases based solely on the law, without fear or favor, prejudice or passion.''

That is precisely why she has a proven record of being faithful to the Constitution and being an independent, fair, and impartial judge. That is why Judge Jackson has earned the support of the law enforcement community, including the Fraternal Order of Police and the International Association of Chiefs of Police, as well as victims of crime, including domestic violence and sexual assault survivors.

I had the pleasure and, in fact, joy of meeting with Judge Jackson last week. No fairminded person can deny her impressive credentials and experience, and no one should deny the moment she has rightfully earned to be considered for a seat on the U.S. Supreme Court.

Our meeting wasn't long, but it was long enough for me to know that she has a quality that everyone we work for wants in a judge and certainly in a Justice on the Supreme Court. She knows how to listen, and I have every confidence that Judge Jackson understands how important that quality is for a judge to carry out their responsibility and commitment to the rule of law.

Judge Jackson's lifetime of hard work and perseverance has prepared her well for this inspiring moment. I believe the people I work for in Wisconsin agree.

A young high school student in Milwaukee recently said:

Knowing she is the first person to do that, it like, gives me the idea that I can do big stuff too.

Jada Davis, the first Black woman to be crowned Miss Milwaukee and a law student at Marquette University, said this:

The more you see yourself in other people the more confidence you will have to do those same things or go after what you want.

I know Judge Jackson has the character, temperament, and experience we want in a Justice on our highest Court. I also know what this moment means to thousands of girls across Wisconsin who, after Judge Brown Jackson's confirmation, will have even more proof that they can achieve ``big stuff'' too.

I believe she has a deep appreciation for the fact that the Supreme Court makes decisions that have a profound effect on the lives of all Americans and that she will work to serve and protect the constitutional rights and freedoms of all Americans.

I will proudly vote for this historic confirmation, the confirmation of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the United States Supreme Court.

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