Thank you very much, Mr President. It is the greatest honor of my life to be here with you right now, in front of my wonderful family, many of my close friends, your distinguished staff and guests, and the American people. In the last few weeks, you have heard a lot from me and about me, so I hope to use this time primarily to do something I did not have enough time to do, that is to thank from the bottom of my heart many, many people who helped me as part of this incredible travel. I have several people to thank. And – and as I’m sure you can imagine, right now, it’s hard to find the words to express the depth of my gratitude. First, as always, I have to thank God for handing me over as promised – (applause) – and for supporting me through this whole process of appointment and confirmation. As I said at the beginning, I have come so far in faith and I know that I am truly blessed. Thank you to the many people who raised me in prayer from the nomination. I am very grateful. Thank you, too, Mr President, for trusting me and honoring me with this great opportunity to serve our country. Thank you also, Madam Vice President, for your wise advice and steady guidance. And I thank the First Lady and the Second Lord for the care and warmth you have shown to me and my family. I would also like to thank each member of the Senate. You have fulfilled the important constitutional role of advising and consensus under the leadership of the Schumer majority. And I’m particularly grateful for the work of the members of the Senate Justice Committee, under the skillful leadership of President Durbin. (Applause.) As you may have heard, during the confirmation process, I had the special privilege of having 95 in-person meetings with 97 active senators. (Laughter.) And we had meaningful and exciting discussions about my approach to the crisis and the role of judges in the constitutional system that we all love. In short, I will note that these are issues that interest me a lot. I have dedicated my career to public service because I love this country and our Constitution and the rights that make us free. I also understand from my many years of practice as a lawyer, as a judge and as a judge on appeal that part of the genius of the United States constitutional framework is its design and that the shapers have entrusted the judiciary with a crucial but limited role. I have also spent most of the last decade listening to thousands of cases and writing hundreds of opinions. In each case, I have seized it, despite obstacles we can scarcely imagine. “ I am humbled and honored to continue in this way as Deputy Judge of the Supreme Court of the United States, working with brilliant colleagues, advocating and defending the Constitution and firmly advocating for the rule of law. (Applause.) But today, on this pedestal, my mission is much more mediocre. I’re just here to thank from the bottom of my heart the categories of people who are largely responsible for being here right now. First, of course, there is my family. Mom and Dad, thank you not only for traveling back here with something that seems like a moment, but for everything you have done and continue to do for me. My brother Ketajh is here too. You have always been a source of inspiration to me as a model of public service and bravery, and thank you for that. I love you all very much. (Applause.) To my in-laws, Pamela and Gardner Jackson, who are here today, and my nieces and nephews, William and Dana, Gardi and Natalie: Thank you for your love and support. For my daughters, Talia and Leila: I bet you never thought you would miss school for a day at the White House. (Laughter.) This is all very exciting for me too. But nothing brought me more joy than being your mother. I love you very much. (Applause.) Patrick, thank you for everything you have done for me in the last 25 years of our marriage. You did everything to support me and encourage me. And it’s you who made it possible right now. (Applause.) Your unwavering love gave me the courage to move in this direction. I do not know that I believed you when you said I could do this, but I do now. (Laughter and applause.) And for that, I’m forever grateful. In the family category, let me briefly mention the huge large family, both of Patrick and mine, who watch it from all over the country and the world. Thank you for supporting me. I hope to be able to connect with you personally in the coming weeks and months. Briefly moving on to the second category of people in need of special recognition: those who provided me with invaluable professional support in the decades before my candidacy, and the many, many friends I have had the privilege of making throughout my life and career. Now, I know that everyone who finds professional success thinks they have the best mentors, but I really do. (Laughter.) I have three inspirational lawyers for whom I had the privilege of the secretariat: Judge Patti Saris, Judge Bruce Selya and, of course, Judge Stephen Breyer. Each of them is an excellent civil servant and I could not have better standards of reflection, integrity, honor and principle, both in words and in deeds. My tenure with Justice Breyer, in particular, has been a wonderful gift and for which I am more grateful each passing year. Judge Breyer’s commitment to an independent, impartial judiciary is unacceptable. And, for him, the rule of law is not just a duty, it is his passion. I am frightened by the prospect of having to follow in his footsteps. And I would consider myself lucky, indeed, that I could do it with the least wisdom, grace and joy. The excellent guidance of the judges I have served has proved particularly important to me during my last decade as a federal judge. And, of course, this service itself was a unique opportunity. For that, I must also thank President Obama, who believed in me by nominating me for my first judicial role in the federal district court. (Applause.) This brings me to my colleagues and the staff of the federal district court in Washington, DC and the DC Circuit: Thank you for everything. I am deeply grateful for your wisdom and your tried and tested friendship over the years. I would also like to express my special thanks to all my lawyers, many of whom are here today, who took the time and space to accompany me on this business trip. I am especially grateful to Jennifer Gruda, who has been by my side almost from the beginning of my time on the bench – (applause) – and has promised – she has promised she will not leave me as we take this last big step. To the many other friends I have had the great, good fortune to have made all these years – from my neighborhood when I grew up. from the Miami Palmetto Senior High School, and especially the discussion group. from my days at Harvard College, where I met my tireless and beloved roommates, Lisa Fairfax, Nina Coleman Simmons and Antoinette Sequeira Cockley – they are truly my sisters. (Applause.) For my time at Harvard Law School and the many professional experiences I have been blessed with since graduation: Thank you. I have too many friends to mention, but please know how much they mean to me and how much I appreciate the smiles, hugs and many “atta girls” that have pushed me forward to date. Finally, I would like to thank in particular the White House staff and the expert assistants who provided valuable assistance in navigating the confirmation process. My trusted sherpa, Senator Doug Jones, was an absolute divine gift. (Applause.) It was an absolute gift from God. He is not only the best narrator you would want to meet, but also incredibly popular on the Hill, which helped a lot. (Laugh.) I also stand here today largely because of the hard work of brilliant people interacting with the legislature and other stakeholders on behalf of the White House, including Louisa Terrell, Reema Dodin and Tona Boyd, Minyon Moore, Ben LaBolt and Andrew Bates. (Applause.) I am also very grateful for the awe-inspiring leadership of White House adviser Dana Remus. (Applause.) By Paige Herwig. Where is Page? (Applause.) And Ron Klein. (Applause.) They led an extremely talented group of White House executives to the Heraklion effort needed to ensure that I was well prepared for the hardships of this process and in record time. Thank you all. (Applause.) Thanks also to the many, many kind-hearted people from all over the country and around the world who have contacted me directly in recent weeks with messages of support. I have spent years working in the relative solitude of my wards, only with my lawyers, in isolation. So it was a bit overwhelming, in a good way, to be flooded recently with thousands of notes and cards and photos that express how much this moment means to so many people. The notes I have received from children are very cute and very meaningful because, more than anything else, they speak directly to the hope and promise of America. It took 232 years and 115 previous appointments to select a black woman to serve on the United States Supreme Court. (Applause.) But we did it. (Applause.) We did it, all of us. All of us. And – and our children tell me that they see now, more than ever, that, here in America, anything is possible. …
