Lets do the right thing and lets do it the right way. With that i will yield the floor. I come to the floor today in opposition to the nomination of judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. I am truly disappointed my republican colleagues have chosen to grandma through this aminee in the middle of pandemic when an election is underway and tens of millions of americans have already cast their ballot. The senate should be focused on a bipartisan relief package to help americans across the country who are struggling to pay the b bills and put food on the table during the pandemic. Instead, the only priority has been to push through a nominee who will alter the balance of the court and affect the lives of generations of americans days before the ballots will be counted to decide the next president of the United States and the makeup of this very body. The stakes in the nomination couldnt be higher. I want to read an excerpt from tuan email i received from a constituent this is from da
Pandemic that has already claimed more than 225,000 american lives. We are 00 mere eight days away we are a mere eight days a away from a president ial election. Donald trump announced his nomination of judge barrett even before we could fully mourn the death of the great Justice Ruth Bader ginsburg. And Senate Republicans then rushed this nomination to the senate floor. In doing so, they violated the rule that their leader, Mitch Mcconnell, imposed in 2016 which kept Merrick Garland off the Supreme Court after president obama nominated him in february of that year to fill the vacancy that arose with the death of justice antonin scalia. That rule was clear. That rule was concise. That rule was definitive. The senate would not consider a nomination to fill a vacancy on the Supreme Court during a president ial election year. Many of my republican colleagues echoed leader mcconnells pledge. In fact, my colleague, senator Lindsey Graham, who chairs the judiciary committee, admonished us to
Provider. Vice president al gore expected his partys president ial nomination at the 2000 Democratic National convention in los angeles. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome my husband, our next president of the United States, al gore. [ cheers and applause ] thaup [ cheers and applause ] [ cheers and applause ] [ cheers and applause ] [ cheers and applause ] thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Thank you, thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I speak tonight of gratitude, achievement and high hopes for our country. Tonight, i think first of those who helped me get here, starting with the people of tennessee. And then those who braved the first snows of iowa, and new hampshire. And all of you here from all over this country. Who have come with me into the warm sunlight of this great city. While i cant thank each of you individually in words, i do so in my heart. And i know you wont mind if i single out someone who has just spoken out so eloquently, someone ive loved with my
Vice president al gore accepted his partys president ial nomination at the 2000, National Convention in los angeles. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome my husband, our next of al gore. [ applause ] [ cheers and applause ] [ cheers and applause ] [ cheers and applause ] [ cheers and applause ] [ cheers and applause ] [ cheers and applause ] [ cheers and applause ] thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. [ cheers and applause ] thank you, thank you. Thank you, thank you. I speak tonight of gratitude, achievement and high hopes for our country. Tonight i think first of those who helped me get here, starting with the people of tennessee and then those who braved the first snows of iowa and New Hampshire and all of you here from all over this country who have come with me into the warm sunlight of this great city. While i cant think of you individually in words, i do so in my heart and i know you wont mind if i single out someone who has just spoken so eloquently, someone ive
President obama thank you. Thank you, guys. Can everybody give them a big round of applause . That was fantastic. Et me tell you, i love nurses. Hi, you. I think weve all had the experience when a loed one has gotten sick. I remember when sasha was like 4 months old. She had a temperature, she was cry, it was midnight, we called the pediatrician, he said get her to the emergency room and it turned out she had meningitis which for little babies is really tough. We saw doctors. And i was starting to tear up because my baby, i didnt know what was going on. It was the nurses who kept michelle and i steady, who cared after sasha, looked after them and every time i meet a Health Care Worker im grateful because every single one of us rely on them at some point in our lives. And its because of their sacrifices and hard work that [microphone n hello. Is that working . Thats a sign you need to give them a big round of applause. I love you too. Miami, thats why i came back. I was here just a few