On the recordDecember 18, 2020
today I rise to honor my dear friend and colleague, Senator Doug Jones of Alabama. Doug Jones is fearless. He cuts against the grain, shrugging off critics to chart his own path rooted in deeply held principles of justice, virtue, and equality. After law enforcement had failed to prosecute civil rights cases for decades, Doug Jones successfully brought a measure of justice to the families of the four girls killed in the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing. When skeptics claimed there was no chance of him winning a Senate race in Alabama, Doug Jones stayed the course and clinched an upset victory. And despite having seen some of his own colleagues shy away from addressing controversial issues in this Chamber, Doug Jones stood up for what he knew was right, from his very first speech in the Senate when he delivered a moving address on the threat of gun violence. But despite his tenacity, Senator Jones has never stopped leading with compassion--compassion for his colleagues, compassion for the people of Alabama, and compassion for all Americans. Like his personal role model, Atticus Finch, Senator Jones abides by the principle that in order to know someone else truly and fully, you need to ``climb in his skin and walk around in it.'' And it is that empathy that has led Senator Jones to champion unity over division. My seat is near Doug's here on the Senate floor, and we sat together during the impeachment trial.…
