Cory Booker: “I rise today to address what I believe is the urgency of the moment, really the test of the time. We have a Constitution…”

“I rise today to address what I believe is the urgency of the moment, really the test of the time. We have a Constitution that was designed for three coequal branches of government. We know the importance of each of those branches of government and the roles they have are spelled out in the Constitution. A fully functioning Supreme Court--one of the coequal branches--is of the utmost importance to the proper function of our democracy. Justices decide cases that shape the daily lives of all Americans. Even one Justice can deeply affect the rights and liberties of the American people for generations to come. Yesterday, the President nominated Chief Judge Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court of the United States. A clear and plain reading of the text of the Constitution says explicitly in article II, section 2, that it is the duty of the Senate to provide ``advice and consent'' to the President on key nominations, particularly Justices to the Supreme Court. I, along with my 99 colleagues, took an oath of office. We swore to support and defend the Constitution of the United States and to faithfully discharge the duties of the offices we hold. There was no addendum to that oath that excused us from our responsibilities during a Presidential election year. The people of New Jersey elected me to serve a full 6-year term.…”