On the recordMarch 12, 2019
Madam President, I come to the floor to oppose the nomination of Neomi Rao to be a judge of the second most powerful court in the country. My decision boiled down to just this one question: Will Ms. Rao advance equal justice for all or will she continue to tilt the courts in favor of the rich and powerful? Ms. Rao's record shows that she will continue to tilt our courts in favor of the powerful few and leave everyone else behind, and that is why I oppose her nomination, but that is also exactly why she was selected by the President for this important lifetime appointment. In the last 2 years, with the Trump administration controlling the White House and Republicans, until January, controlling both Houses of Congress, the rich and powerful have had unparalleled access to the Federal Government, and they have been terrifyingly effective at making Washington work even better for themselves. Just think of some of their high-profile victories: a tax plan that takes away money from working Americans and gives it straight to the biggest corporations and wealthiest individuals, rollbacks of countless protections to protect public health, consumer welfare, and environmental safety. Those are just the policies that people have been paying attention to. For decades now, billionaire-funded rightwing groups have operated in the shadows to take over our courts by installing rightwing judges who will put the interests of giant corporations and wealthy individuals ahead of everyone else.…





