That would be true of virtually everyone who was a nominee over the last quarter century. This is a nominee reflective of the president s party and that is what elections are about and the people that president obama pientd. There has been tremendous consternation about the change that would no longer require 60 votes to end debate. I think a lot of people have a misunderstanding of how we got here. I think it is important for the people of florida to know how i approached it. It is the no something that i am excited or happy about. I would say that is the sentiment of most of the people here in the senate and yet it happened anyway. I saw an editorial cartoon, and it had a picture of both sides saying this is terrible but were going to do it anyway. The senate is unique. There is no other legislative body in the world like it. Unlike most legislative institutions it does not function by majority rule. It actually requires supermajorities to move forward. That was by design. It was not an accident. The people, founders, framers, they had a branch of the legislation that would be representative of the people, represent districts, have twoyear terms and then they had another chamber which is different in nature. Amount the time the u. S. Senate was designed, first of all, to represent the states. The house was the peoples house, the senate was a place where the states were represented and they wanted another branch that was immune. They wanted a place where things would slow down, take a deep breath and make sure were doing the right thing. Its a wise course. So republic isnt perfect, but it has survived for over two centuries and in the process gave us the most dynamic, vibrant and most exceptional nation in all of Human History. While not perfect, the senate has been a big part of that endeavor. By the way, at the time the senators were elected by the legislature, not the people. That changed. Thats the way it was. That said it was unique because it had unlimited debate. When a senator wanted to speak, he could debate as long as he wanted. At some point that began to get abused and then they required a rule that required a supermajority and that was further watered down and then we arrived here to the last four years. Basically what happens now as a result of the procedure undertaken on the floor first by senator reid when he was the majority leader and now by the majority leader today is that on whats called the executive calendar, nominations, the cabinet for ambassadors, subcabinets, and now the Supreme Court, there are two ways to stop a debate. Number one, by unanimous consent everybody agrees to it or, number two, there are 51 votes, the majority vote. I think thats problematic in the long term. Not because of judge gorsuch who i believe in any other era or in any other time would not have just gotten 60 votes or unanimous consent to stop debate, i think he would have gotten maybe 60 or 70 votes to be on the court. I think its problematic because we dont know who will be the president in 15 years nor the tate of our country. Yet, by a simple majority without talking to a Single Person or getting a single vote from the other party or other point of view, we they are going to be able to nominate and confirm and place on the bench of the Supreme Court to a lifetime appointment to a coequal branch of government someone without even consulting with the other side. I think long term that is problematic. In the case of neil gorsuch, not so much. For tt future of for the future of congress, it could be problematic. You could say all this does is bring us back to where we once were. I think technically that is accurate. This is not where we were once were before. Before there were people who worked here understood they had the power to do it, they understood they could force the 60 votes and they had the power to do it but they chose not to exercise it. They chose to be judicious because they understand with the power comes not just the power to act but sometimes the power not to act, to be responsible, to reserve certain powers for extraordinary moments where it is truly required. And over the years its been abused. Now, this is not going to be a speech where i stand up here and say and this is all the democrats, i certainly have quarrels with some of the decisions made on the other side of the aisle. I think its a moment to say weve all brought us here to this point, both sides. The reason why i was ultimately able to vote for the change today is because im convinced that no matter who would have won the president ial election, no matter which party would have controlled this chamber, that vote was going to happen. Both sides were going to do this because we have reached the point in our politics, in america, where what used to be done is no longer possible. Than had is ultimately found its way on to the floor of the United States senate. Now, rules are rules and ultimately the republic will survive the change we have seen here today. I think the more troubling aspect are the things that have brought us to this point. A couple of days ago at a lunch with my colleagues i said one of the things we have to accept are quite frankly the men and women who served in this chamber 20 and 30 years ago were better than us. They had deeply held beliefs. I dont know anyone in this chamber more progressive or liberal than Hubert Humphrey or ted kennedy or others, and yet somehow, despite their deeply held principles, these individuals were able to prevent what happened here today. The fact of the matter is for both sides is that not possible. Today our politics requires us to use every measure possible even if its for symbolic purposes. Thats jerusalem the way it is. And that is just the way it is. That is more a reflection of the political process than it is of the senate. I have seen the articles written, its the end of the senate, the death of the senate. Its a little bit of an exaggeration. I think is it reflective of the fact that this is how pom particulars have become politics have become that we are got able to have a debate on serious issues like we were once able to do. I think everyones to blame. Today, most articles on the issues before us are not about the issues before us. They are about the politics of the issues before us. Today, most of the work thats done in this chamber and in the other chamber has more to do with the messaging behind it than it does with the end result that the world will lead us. Thats just the honest fact. And before people start writing or blogging, look at all these other times when the senator from florida, when me, when i did some of these things, i admit it. I dont think there is a Single Person here with clean hands on any of this. I admit that i have been involved in efforts that looking back on some of these things perhaps if we knew then what we knew now we would have done differently. I think its important in life to recognize and learn from those experiences and to adopt them to the moment before us. I think moving forward, the biggest challenge we will face as a country is that our issues are not going to solve themselves. They will require people from very different states, very different backgrounds, very different points of view to be able to come together and solve some pretty big deals. And it is ultimately not about silencing people or having them compromise the principles, but about acknowledging that in our system of government, we have no choice but to do so. We have no choice. I think it also requires us to take a step back and understand that the people who have a different point of view than ours actually believe what they are saying. They hold it deep and they represent people who believe what they are saying. And i say this to you as someone who will admit that my time in public service, perhaps i have not always applied that as much as i wish i had. I tried to. Certainly live and learn when you get to travel the country and meet as many people as i did over the last couple of years, i certainly think that impacts you profoundly. I have a deeply held belief in limited government and Free Enterprise and Strong National defense and the Core Principles that define someone as a conservative, but i have also grown to appreciate and understand people who share a different point of view. Perhaps not as much as i hope to one day be able to understand it and respect it, but certainly more than i once did, simply because the more people you meet, the more you learn about them, the more you learn and understand where theyre coming from. Are we capable as a society to once again return to a moment where people who have different ideas can somehow try to figure out how to make things better even if theyre not perfect . I hope so. Because the fate of the most important country in Human History is at stake. Are we capable of once again having debates, not that arent vibrant or not that from time to time people might say and do things they regret, but certainly ones at the end of the day are constructed for the purposes of solving a problem, not winning an election alone. I hope so, because if we dont, we have to explain to our children why we inherited the greatest country in Human History and they inherited one that was in decline. I dont mean to exaggerate, but ultimately this is a rule change. We dont vote on the Supreme Court every day, every week, every month, sometimes we dont vote on it for long periods of time, but i think it exposes a more fundamental challenge that we face today in american politics, that we better confront sooner rather than later and that we should all confront with the understanding and the knowledge that none of us come to it with clean hands. I were reminded again this week in the images that emerge from syria of what a dangerous world we live in and reminded that the threats remain, and i ask people tonight, no matter who you write for, who you blog for, what Political Party youre a member of, who you voted for in november, to ask yourself a question and to be honest about the answer. If god forbid, and i mean this, god forbid there were another 9 11style attack on the United States, how would we honestly react . Because september 11 was a scary day, and on that day, i remember there werent democrats or republicans. Everyone was equally frightened and everyone was equally angered and there was a sense of unity of purpose that we had not seen in a long time and have not seen since. I honestly believe sadly that if today there were another of that kind of attack on america, one of the first things you would see people do is blaming whose fault it was. You would have some people saying, well, this terrorist attack happened because president obama didnt do enough to defeat the terrorists. Another group would say this attack happened because the republicans and the new president , President Trump, has not done enough or has done things that have provoked them. I honestly believe that, i think that that is what the debate would look like. I hope im wrong. Just think about how far we have come in almost 20 years or 15 years. Thats the kind of debate i believe we would have. Think about how destructive that is. I also think you would see a plethora of crazy, fake stories about what was behind it. And heres the craziest part. Some very smart and educated people would believe those stories. Because we have reached the point now where conspiracies are more interesting than facts. I know that, you know, people may see this and say oh, what a what are you i think youre exaggerating. Maybe. I hope so. But i honestly think that were headed in a direction thats actually making us not us the senate, us, americans, incapable of confronting problems. And i would just say this. What i really hope will happen soon is that were going to get tired of fighting with other americans all the time, that well finally get fatigued with all of this fighting against other americans constantly. Americans are not your enemies. Quite frankly, i hope we have no enemies anywhere in the world other than vicious leaders that we hope to be a part of seeing them taken out of power at some point for the horrible things they do. I hope well reach a point where people are saying im just tired of constantly fighting with other americans. And well have differences, well debate them. Thank god that we have been given a republic where we have elections every two years and we can have these debates, but in the interim, whether we like it or not, none of us is going anywhere. The vast and overwhelming majority of americans will live in this country for the rest of their lives. This is their home and this is their country, and we are going to have to figure out how to share and Work Together in this unique piece of land that we have been blessed with the opportunity to call home. And if we dont figure out a way to do that soon enough, then many of these issues that confront america will go unsolved, and not only will our people pay a price and our children pay a price, but the world will pay a price. And so i know thats a lot to say about a topic as simple as a rules change and ultimately a vote for the Supreme Court, but i really think it exposed something deeper about american politics that we better confront sooner rather than later, or we will all live to regret what it leads to. And that is the decline of the single greatest nation in all of Human History. With that, mr. President , i yield the floor. The presiding officer the senator from South Carolina. Mr. Graham on a more upbeat note, the lady gamecocks are National Champions. April 2, this past sunday, the university of South CarolinaWomens Basketball team beat Mississippi State 675 to end a magical season and became the National Champions. This is a magical year for the state of South Carolina. We have Clemson Tigers are the National Football champs. College of charleston are the world series title holders for baseball. We have the lady gamecocks, the National Champs in Womens Basketball. And Dustin Johnson is the numberone golfer in america who hurt his back today and had to withdraw from the masters, so that was bad. So this is a great year. I went to the university of South Carolina. I still have four years of eligibility in all sports for a reason. I was no good. My colleague here actually played college football, and were both gamecock fans. Coach don staley came to South Carolina in 2008. She has been dawn staley came to South Carolina in 2008. She has been on a National Championship team as a player. She is now in the hall of fame for basketball, as one of two African American female coaches to win the National Title of Womens Basketball. She is the real deal, she is a wonderful lady. Asia wilson, our dominating junior forward, was the m. V. P. For the final four and s. C. Player of the year and firstteam all american. All the girls played really, really hard. The mens Basketball Team made it to the final four, lost in a very tough contest, and i could not be more proud of the university of South CarolinaWomens Basketball team. Frank martin, the mens coach, is the National Coach of the year. This is a special time in South Carolina. If youre a gamecock fan, you have been longsuffering for a while, and our ship finally came in. So congratulations to the lady gamecocks. I cant wait until next year. We always say that with a sense of dread, but i cant wait until next year for South Carolina, clemson and every other sports team in South Carolina. Were doing something right. I dont know what it is, but were all grateful in South Carolina. With that, i would yield to my colleague who actually played college football. I dont think he has any eligibility left because he was good, tim scott. Mr. Scott mr. President , just to fill in the very few spaces that are left after lindsey and his chatting about the great season our players have had. Number one, coach frank martin, coach of the year. A fantastic person, a great communicator, a strong, disciplined coach. It is very hard to misunderstand what he is saying. Coach staley, absolutely, positively, unequivocally the best basketball coach, Womens Basketball coach, in my opinion. I know, against uconn, in the country. Dawn staley 20 years ago came within a single point of winning a National Championship as a player. Can you just imagine being a single point short . And this must feel like redemption for our coach. We are so proud of the fact that both our coaches are producing student athletes, learning academically, striving on courts, but prepared for life, for living. So were excited about that. I want to know as well that there is only there has only been ten times in ncaa history, ten times that both the womens and the mens Basketball Teams from the same school were in the final four at the same time. It is a good time to be a south carolinian. Thank you. The presiding officer the senator from florida. Mr. Rubio mr. President , i have a question for the senator from South Carolina through the chair.