This week I had the great privilege to join a few of my fellow advocates in speaking on behalf of the confirmation of Judge Amy Coney Barrett. I wanted to share my remarks with you as well as we prepare to witness her confirmation:
At the swearing-in ceremony for Justice Antonin Scalia in 1986, President Ronald Reagan set the stage for this very moment in our history, he said: “Today we mark one of those moments of passage and renewal that has kept our Republic alive and strong—as Lincoln called it, the last, best hope of man on Earth—for all the years since its founding.” America is still the last best hope of man on earth. Our institutions are a vital part of what makes us so unique. No other nation in the world has an institution quite like our Supreme Court. The Court is special. The Court reflects our great nation.
We are here today to urge the swift confirmation of Judge Amy Coney Barrett, potentially the brightest legal mind of our generation. If her sterling record of academic and legal accomplishments were not enough to convince us of that fact, her exemplary performance in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee should sway even the most skeptical of her qualifications and proper temperament for a seat on our high Court.
Judge Barrett is the absolute best jurist for such as a time as this. She has proven through her impressive career that above all else, she values upholding the original understanding and blessings of liberty inherent in our cherished Constitution. It is a certainty that in the coming years, the Court will be asked to rule on questions fundamental to the functioning of our Republic, including the most important human rights question of our time: the human right to life. We are confident that when she joins the ranks of the Supreme Court, Judge Barrett would prove herself a trusted caretaker of the Constitutional protections extended to every human person in America, including human lives in the womb
Judge Barrett has proven that she is a constitutionalist with a profound understanding that the duty of a judge is to fairly interpret the law. While many of her contemporaries’ fancy themselves legislators in robes, Barrett understands that judges should not legislate from the bench or substitute their personal preferences for the authority and weight of the U.S. Constitution. Over the past few weeks our nation has become remarkably familiar with Judge Barrett’s record, the comments of her colleagues, and the content of her character. I am confident that if each Senator voted on these criteria alone, she would receive the unanimous consent of the United States Senate.
While every American should feel proud to have Judge Barrett assume a seat on the Court, this moment is particularly special for women across our country. Judge Barrett Is the living embodiment of what is possible for women to achieve and accomplish in the United States of America. The testament of her beautiful family, her commitment to fellow believers, her empathy and devotion to her students, her fairness to those she ruled in favor of or against: she is the paragon of what women can accomplish when they are supported in expressing their entire selves. Not just a sliver of ourselves like our culture too often asks of us.
Judge Barrett is living out the life that Justice Ginsburg fought for women to have the right to live. I am positive that once on the Court, Judge Barrett will be a voice of wisdom, prudence, and leadership for decades to come. Confirming Judge Barrett will be a monumental step forward for every little girl who dreams of having a family and rising to the top of her profession. For every person of deep religious conviction who heeds the call of public service. And for all Americans who value our sacred constitution.
As President Reagan said, “The future doesn’t belong to the light-hearted. It belongs to the brave.” I urge every member of the United states Senate to be brave and confirm Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court.
