And just like Justice Gorsuch, he excelled as a clerk for Justice Kennedy. That’s great, thank you. Judge Kavanaugh has devoted his life to public service. For the last 12 years, he has served as a judge on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals with great distinction, authoring opinions which have been widely admired for their skill, insight and rigorous adherence to the law. Among those opinions are more than a dozen that the Supreme Court has adopted as the law of the land. Beyond his great renown as a judge, he is active in his community. He coaches CYO basketball, serves meals to needy families, and having learned from his mom who is a schoolteacher in D.C., tutors children at local elementary schools.

There is no one in America more qualified for this position, and no one more deserving. I want to thank the senators on both sides of the aisle, Republican and Democrat, for their consultation and advice during the selection process. This incredibly qualified nominee deserves a swift confirmation and robust bipartisan support. The rule of law is our nation’s proud heritage. It is the cornerstone of our freedom. It is what guarantees equal justice, and the Senate now has the chance to protect this glorious heritage by sending Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the United States Supreme Court. And now, judge, the podium is yours.

JUDGE BRETT M. KAVANAUGH: Mr. President, thank you. Throughout this process, I have witnessed firsthand your appreciation for the vital role of the American judiciary. No president has ever consulted more widely or talked with more people from more backgrounds to seek input about a Supreme Court nomination. Mr. President, I am grateful to you and I am humbled by your confidence in me. Thank you.

Thirty years ago, President Reagan nominated Anthony Kennedy to the Supreme Court. The framers established that the Constitution is designed to secure the blessings of liberty. Justice Kennedy devoted his career to securing liberty. I’m deeply honored to be nominated to fill his seat on the Supreme Court.

My mom and dad are here. I am their only child. When people ask what it’s like to be an only child, I say, it depends on who your parents are. I was lucky. My mom was a teacher. In the 1960s and ‘70s she taught history at two largely African-American public high schools in Washington, D.C. — Mckinley Tech and H.D. Woodson. Her example taught me the importance of equality for all Americans.

My mom was a trailblazer. When I was ten, she went to law school and became a prosecutor. My introduction to law came at our dinner table when she practiced her closing arguments. Her trademark line was, “Use your common sense. What rings true, what rings false?”

That’s good advice for a juror, and for a son. One of the few women prosecutors at that time, she overcame barriers and became a trial judge. The president introduced me tonight as Judge Kavanaugh, but to me, that title will always belong to my mom.