Sheila Jackson Lee: “I thank the Congressional Black Caucus and Congresswoman Yvette Clarke for anchoring this important Special Order. On…”

“I thank the Congressional Black Caucus and Congresswoman Yvette Clarke for anchoring this important Special Order. On the 150th Anniversary of the ratification of the 14th Amendment, a landmark moment for progress and equality, the President announced his nominee to fill a seat on the highest court in the land. Unfortunately, however, the search for the next jurist to take a seat on the United States Supreme Court resembled a circus and I am concerned that the person selected, Brett Kavanaugh, will be antagonistic and hostile to the progress that the 14th Amendment has helped achieve. As a senior member of the House Judiciary Committee, I am appalled by the manner in which the President is pursuing this solemn obligation and concerned by the choice this process may yield. The President has used the levers of his office to divide, rather than unite. The Supreme Court is not just any court. In our great Republic, it is the tribunal of last resort and routinely resolves constitutional questions of first impression. The American people rely on it to interpret some of society's most difficult policy concerns, and to correct the excesses of the popularly-elected branches. The nature of the Court requires justices, not ideologues, and individuals who have integrity and empathy. This is why this task requires seriousness and solemnity, and not spectacle.…”