VIDEO: Senator Young: Judge Kavanaugh’s Qualifications are Undeniable

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.) today spoke on the Senate Floor in support of Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh, whose Senate confirmation hearings will begin September 4. The speech follows Senator Young’s meeting with Judge Kavanaugh last month. 

“I had the opportunity to sit down with Judge Kavanaugh in my office last month, and he struck me as a man of great character and integrity. He answered questions directly. He spoke forthrightly. He demonstrated, at once, a strong intellect and a deep humility,” said Senator Young. “I look forward to watching Judge Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearing. After conducting a thorough and objective review of his nomination, I am confident that Judge Kavanaugh will be an excellent addition to our nation’s highest court.” 

Click here to watch Senator Young’s floor speech. 

Remarks as prepared for delivery:

I rise today to speak about Judge Brett Kavanaugh – President Trump’s second nominee to serve on the Supreme Court.  

Judge Kavanaugh’s qualifications are undeniable. He has proven this over the last 12 years on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.

I had the opportunity to sit down with Judge Kavanaugh in my office last month, and he struck me as a man of great character and integrity. 

He answered questions directly. He spoke forthrightly.  

He demonstrated, at once, a strong intellect and a deep humility. 

We had a wide-ranging conversation on issues that are important to people in my state of Indiana, including his approach to interpreting the Constitution. 

As a D.C. Circuit Judge, he has carried out his duties faithfully and consistently.

He has shown he understands that the judge’s role is to apply the law as written, and not to impose his own policy preferences. 

He is a textualist when interpreting statutes, meaning that he adheres strictly to the law as written. And he is an originalist, meaning he carefully reviews the history of our framers when interpreting the Constitution. 

This is an approach he frequently lectures and writes about as a guest lecturer at Harvard and other law schools, including Notre Dame Law School where he gave a guest lecture on his jurisprudential approach in February 2017.   

It’s also worth noting that it was Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan who hired Judge Kavanaugh to teach at Harvard when she was the Harvard Law School Dean. 

Justice Kagan clearly thought highly of his reputation and credentials. So highly that she hired him to help shape the minds of Harvard Law School students. 

In his writing, Judge Kavanaugh reminds us that federalism and the separation of powers, “are not mere matters of etiquette or architecture, but are essential to protecting individual liberty.” 

Judge Kavanaugh has also exhibited a willingness to rein in administrative agencies when they exceed their authority under the law. And he has consistently held that international laws do not govern national security matters if Congress has not adopted them as domestic law. 

After carefully reviewing Judge Kavanaugh’s record, I am confident that he will be faithful to the Constitution and preserve the integrity of the Supreme Court. 

But Judge Kavanaugh is more than just a highly respected jurist. He is more than an eminently qualified legal scholar, and a mind that is well suited for the Supreme Court.  

He is also a father, a husband, a coach to his two daughters’ basketball team, and a man of impeccable character.

Earlier this month, a group of more than 30 parents sent a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee praising Judge Kavanaugh’s character. His two daughters are students at Blessed Sacrament School in Washington, D.C., and he is the girls’ basketball coach.   

The parents wrote, “Brett Kavanaugh has been a devoted coach and mentor to our daughters.”  

They continued, “In addition to his long list of professional and academic accomplishments – we hope that the Committee will also consider Brett Kavanaugh’s contributions as a volunteer youth basketball coach – and the service, selflessness, dedication, and commitment his coaching exhibits…”

In two weeks, the Senate Judiciary Committee will begin its confirmation hearing for Judge Kavanaugh. He is one of the most qualified nominees to ever come before the Senate. And when all is said and done, the Judiciary Committee will have reviewed more records than ever before for a Supreme Court nominee. 

The importance of protecting individual liberty cannot be overstated, and I am pleased that we are considering the nomination of someone who – by word and deed – has committed himself to preserving freedom. 

I look forward to watching Judge Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearing. After conducting a thorough and objective review of his nomination, I am confident that Judge Kavanaugh will be an excellent addition to our nation’s highest court.