Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) took to the Senate floor Thursday morning to address the threats made by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) against Supreme Court Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh at a pro-choice rally in front of the Supreme Court Wednesday. (Note: Transcript added at end of article.)
Schumer had yelled at the justices while they were inside hearing an abortion law case, “I want to tell you Gorsuch! And I want to tell you Kavanaugh! You have released the whirlwind, and you will pay the price! You won’t know what hit you! If you go forward with these awful decisions…”
McConnell was preceded by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) who condemned Schumer’s threats in a brief statement.
Video clips posted by the RNC:
Full McConnell speech:
COMPLETE SPEECHES by Grassley and McConnell with eventual response by Schumer:
P.S. Those thinking that the nation saw this historic moment on the floor of the Senate would be wrong. Only Fox covered McConnell’s remarks live.
NOT SHOCKED: @senatemajldr calls out Chuck Schumer’s dangerous and unhinged threats to two Supreme Court Justices and only @FoxNews and @FoxBusiness cover live. CNN and MSNBC hide it from their viewers. pic.twitter.com/tmfOygzf2C
— Marc Lotter (@marc_lotter) March 5, 2020
NOTE: This article will be updated with speech text and complete video.
In lieu of an official text, here is the C-SPAN closed caption transcript:
MR. McCONNELL: I HAD PLANNED TO SPEND MY REMARKS TODAY DISCUSSING OUR BIPARTISAN, BICAMERAL AGREEMENT TO FUND THE FIGHT AGAINST THE NEW CORONAVIRUS. I WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO CONGRATULATING ALL MY COLLEAGUES AND DISCUSSING ALL THE IMPORTANT WAYS THIS FUNDING WILL HELP OUR PUBLIC HEALTH EXPERTS, FRONT-LINE HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS, AND STATE AND LOCAL OFFICIALS COMBAT THE SPREAD OF THIS VIRUS AND MITIGATE ITS EFFECTS. IT’S A SERIOUS AGREEMENT TO MEET A SERIOUS CHALLENGE, AND TODAY WE WILL SEND IT TO PRESIDENT TRUMP’S DESK. SO TODAY WILL BE AN IMPORTANT DAY FOR THE COUNTRY, AND IT WAS GOING TO BE A PROUD DAY FOR THE SENATE, BUT INSTEAD, THE NATION’S EYES ARE ON THIS BODY FOR AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT REASON.
A FEW WEEKS AGO, I SPOKE ON THIS FLOOR ABOUT A DANGEROUS TREND THAT THREATENS OUR SELF-GOVERNMENT. I EXPLAINED HOW SOME IN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY APPEAR MORE INTERESTED IN ATTACKING THE INSTITUTIONS OF OUR GOVERNMENT THAN IN WORKING WITHIN THEM. HOW DEMOCRATS INCREASINGLY RESPOND TO POLITICAL DISAPPOINTMENTS WITH EXTREME CLAIMS THAT OUR SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT ITSELF MUST BE BROKEN. THE FAILURE CAN’T BE THEIR OWN. IT CAN’T BE THAT THE LEFT NEEDS BETTER ARGUMENTS OR IDEAS. NO. NO. THE FAULT MUST LIE WITH THE CONSTITUTION ITSELF.
DEMOCRATS HAVE TRIED TO CLOAK THEIR ANGER AT PRESIDENT TRUMP IN RHETORIC ABOUT PROTECTING NORMS AND INSTITUTIONS, BUT IN REALITY, IT IS THEIR OWN SIDE OF THE AISLE WHERE ANY INSTITUTIONALISM IS RAMPANT. RAMPANT. WE COULD TALK ABOUT ATTACKS ON THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENCY, ON THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE, ON THE FIRST AMENDMENT, ON THE SENATE ITSELF, BUT MOST STRIKING OF ALL HAVE BEEN THE SHAMELESS EFFORTS TO BULLY OUR NATION’S INDEPENDENT JUDICIARY, AND YESTERDAY THOSE EFFORTS TOOK A DANGEROUS AND DISTURBING TURN.
BY NOW, MANY ALREADY KNOW WHAT THE DEMOCRATIC LEADER SHOUTED OUTSIDE THE SUPREME COURT YESTERDAY MORNING. I’M SORRY TO HAVE TO READ IT INTO THE RECORD. FIRST, HE PROMPTED A CROWD OF LEFT-WING ACTIVISTS TO BOO TWO OF THE ASSOCIATE JUSTICES, AS THOUGH SUPREME COURT JUSTICES WERE PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES AND SENATOR SCHUMER WERE JEERING FROM THE STANDS. AND THEN THE SENIOR SENATOR FROM NEW YORK SAID THIS — I WANT TO TELL YOU, GORSUCH, I WANT TO TELL YOU, KAVANAUGH, YOU’VE RELEASED A WHIRLWIND AND YOU, YOU WILL PAY THE PRICE. YOU WON’T KNOW WHAT HIT YOU IF YOU GO FORWARD WITH THESE AWFUL DECISIONS, END QUOTE.
MADAM PRESIDENT, I’M NOT SURE WHERE TO START. THERE IS NOTHING TO CALL THIS EXCEPTION A THREAT, AND THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO QUESTION TO WHOM, TO WHOM IT WAS DIRECTED. CONTRARY TO WHAT THE DEMOCRATIC LEADER HAS SINCE TRIED TO CLAIM, HE VERY, VERY CLEARLY WAS NOT ADDRESSING REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS OR ANYONE ELSE. HE LITERALLY DIRECTED THE STATEMENT TO THE JUSTICES BY NAME, AND HE SAID, QUOTE, IF YOU GO FORWARD WITH THESE AWFUL DECISIONS, WHICH COULD ONLY APPLY TO THE COURT ITSELF.
THE MINORITY LEADER OF THE UNITED STATES SENATE THREATENED TWO ASSOCIATE JUSTICES OF THE U.S. SUPREME COURT, PERIOD. THERE’S NO OTHER WAY TO INTERPRET THAT. EVEN WORSE, THE THREAT WAS NOT CLEARLY POLITICAL OR INSTITUTIONAL. AS I’LL DISCUSS IN A MOMENT, THESE KINDS OF THREATS ARE SADLY NOTHING NEW FROM SENATE DEMOCRATS. THIS WAS MUCH BROADER, MUCH BROADER. THE DEMOCRATIC LEADER TRAVELED TO THE WORKPLACE OF THE TWO JUDGES, AND IN FRONT OF A CROWD OF ACTIVISTS, HE TOLD THOSE JUDGES YOU WILL PAY THE PRICE, RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE SUPREME COURT BUILDING. AND YOU WON’T KNOW WHAT HIT YOU, HE SAID, RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE SUPREME COURT BUILDING. IF ANY AMERICAN HAD THESE WORDS SHOUTED AT THEM FROM THE SIDEWALK OUTSIDE THEIR OFFICE, THEY WOULD HEAR THOSE THREATS AS PERSONAL. AND MOST LIKELY THEY WOULD HEAR THEM AS THREATENING OR INCITING VIOLENCE. THAT’S HOW ANY AMERICAN WOULD INTERPRET THOSE WORDS IF THEY WERE DIRECTED AT US, AND THAT’S CERTAINLY HOW THE PRESS AND LEADING DEMOCRATS WOULD HAVE CHARACTERIZED THEM IF PRESIDENT TRUMP OR ANY SENIOR REPUBLICAN HAD SAID ANYTHING REMOTELY, REMOTELY SIMILAR. WE’VE SEEN MUCH MORE HAY MADE OUT OF MUCH LESS.
PERHAPS OUR COLLEAGUE THINKS THIS IS ABSURD. PERHAPS HE WOULD LIKE THE MOST GENEROUS POSSIBLE INTERPRETATION THAT HE GOT CARRIED AWAY AND DIDN’T MEAN WHAT HE SAID. BUT IF HE DIDN’T EVEN ADMIT TO SAYING WHAT HE SAID, WE CERTAINLY CANNOT KNOW WHAT HE MEANT. AT THE VERY BEST, HIS COMMENTS WERE ASTONISHINGLY, ASTONISHINGLY RECKLESS AND SUPPLEMENTAL IRRESPONSIBLE, AND CLEARLY, AS THE CHIEF JUSTICE STATED IN A RARE AND EXTRAORDINARY REBUKE, THEY WERE, QUOTE, DANGEROUS, END QUOTE. BECAUSE NO MATTER THE INTENTION, WORDS CARRYING THE APPARENT THREAT OF VIOLENCE CAN HAVE HORRIFIC UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES.
IN THE MOST RECENT YEAR ON RECORD, MADAM PRESIDENT, THE UNITED STATES MARSHAL SERVICE TRACKED THOUSANDS OF THREATS AND INAPPROPRIATE COMMUTATIONS AGAINST THE JUDICIARY. THOUSANDS OF THREATS AGAINST THE JUDICIARY. LESS THAN THREE YEARS AGO, OF COURSE, AN UNHINGED AND UNSTABLE LEFT-WING ACTIVIST ATTEMPTED A MASS MURDER OF CONGRESSIONAL REPUBLICANS AT A BASEBALL FIELD RIGHT ACROSS THE RIVER.
A SENATE LEADER APPEARING TO THREATEN OR INCITE VIOLENCE ON THE STEPS OF THE SUPREME COURT COULD LITERALLY BE A MATTER OF DEADLY SERIOUSNESS. SO I FULLY ANTICIPATE OUR COLLEAGUE WOULD QUICKLY WITHDRAW HIS COMMENTS AND APOLOGIZE. THAT’S WHAT EVEN RELIABLY LIBERAL LEGAL EXPERTS LIKE LAURENCE TRIBE AND NEIL KAGEL HAVE PUBLICLY URGED. INSTEAD, OUR COLLEAGUE DOUBLED DOWN, DOUBLED DOWN. HE TRIED TO GASLIGHT THE ENTIRE COUNTRY AND STATED THAT HE WAS ACTUALLY THREATENING FELLOW SENATORS, AS THOUGH THAT WOULD BE MUCH BETTER. BUT THAT’S SUFFICIENT.
AND THEN A FEW HOURS LATER, THE DEMOCRATIC LEADER TRIPLED DOWN. INSTEAD OF TAKING CHIEF JUSTICE ROBERTS’ SOBER STATEMENT TO HEART, HE LASHED OUT AGAIN AND TRIED TO IMPLY THE CHIEF JUSTICE WAS BIASED, BIASED FOR DOING HIS JOB AND DEFENDING THE COURT. LET ME SAY THAT AGAIN. HE TRIPLED DOWN AND HE LASHED OUT YET AGAIN AND TRIED TO IMPLY THE CHIEF JUSTICE WAS BIASED FOR DOING HIS JOB AND DEFENDING THE COURT. OUR COLLEAGUE THEREFORE SUCCEEDED IN ATTACKING 33% OF THE SUPREME COURT IN SPACE OF A FEW HOURS.
THROUGHOUT THE IMPEACHMENT, IN THE SENATE TRIAL, FOR MONTHS, WASHINGTON DEMOCRATS PREACHED SERMONS ABOUT THE SEPARATION OF POWERS AND RESPECT BETWEEN EQUAL BRANCHES. SO MUCH FOR ALL OF THAT. AND SADLY, THIS ATTACK WAS NOT SOME ISOLATED INCIDENT. THE LEFT-WING CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE FEDERAL JUDICIARY DID NOT BEGIN YESTERDAY, NOT YESTERDAY. MY COLLEAGUES WILL RECALL THAT DURING THE IMPEACHMENT TRIAL, THE SENIOR SENATOR FROM MASSACHUSETTS, AND OUTSIDE PRESSURE GROUPS TRIED TO ATTACK THE CHIEF JUSTICE SITTING RIGHT IN THAT CHAIR FOR STAYING NEUTRAL INSTEAD OF DELIVERING THE OUTCOMES THAT THEY WANTED. THESE SAME GROUPS SAME TO SENATOR SCHUMER’S DEFENSE YESTERDAY WITH GRATUITOUS ATTACKS AGAINST THE CHIEF JUSTICE FOR CONDEMNING THE THREAT AGAINST HIS COLLEAGUES.
AND LAST SUMMER, LAST SUMMER, A NUMBER OF SENATE DEMOCRATS SENT AN EXTRAORDINARY BRIEF TO THE SUPREME COURT. IT THREATENED TO INFLICT INSTITUTIONAL CHANGE ON THE COURT IF IT DID NOT RULE THE WAY THE DEMOCRATS WANTED. IN OTHER WORDS, GIVE US THE RULING WE WANT OR WE’LL CHANGE THE NUMBERS OF THE COURT. HERE’S WHAT THEY WROTE. THE SUPREME COURT IS NOT WELL. REALLY? THE SUPREME COURT IS NOT WELL. PERHAPS THE COURT CAN HEAL ITSELF BEFORE THE PUBLIC DEMANDS IT BE RESTRUCTURED.
NOW, WHAT THAT MEANS IS YOU RULE THE WAY WE WANT OR WE’RE GOING TO EXPAND THE NUMBERS AND CHANGE THE OUTCOME. A POLITICAL THREAT, PLAIN AS DAY. AS YOU READ THE DOCUMENT, YOU HAVE EXPECTED IT TO END BY SAYING THAT’S SOME NICE JUDICIAL INDEPENDENCE YOU’VE GOT OVER THERE. IT WOULD BE A SHAME IF SOMETHING HAPPENED TO IT. IT COULDN’T HAVE BEEN MORE CLEAR.
INDEPENDENCE FROM POLITICAL PASSIONS IS THE CORNERSTONE OF OUR JUDICIARY AND OUR COUNTRY. JUDICIAL INDEPENDENCE IS WHAT ENABLES COURTS TO DO JUSTICE, EVEN WHEN IT IS UNPOPULAR TO PROTECT CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS EVEN WHEN POWERFUL INTERESTS WANT THEM INFRINGED. JUDICIAL INDEPENDENCE, MADAM PRESIDENT, IS WHAT MAKES THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA A REPUBLIC OF LAWS RATHER THAN OF MEN. IT’S BEEN ALMOST A CENTURY SINCE THE LAST TIME DEMOCRATS THREATENED TO PACK THE SUPREME COURT BECAUSE THEY WANTED DIFFERENT RULINGS. — DIFFERENT RULINGS. HISTORY STILL JUDGES THAT DISGRACEFUL EPISODE TO THIS DAY. SO I WOULD SUGGEST THAT MY DEMOCRATIC COLLEAGUES SPEND LESS TIME TRYING TO THREATEN IMPARTIAL JUDGES AND MORE TIME COMING UP WITH IDEAS THAT ARE ACTUALLY CONSTITUTIONAL.
FORTUNATELY, THIS EXTRAORDINARY DISPLAY CONTAINS ONE-IRONIC SILVER LINING. THESE CLUMSY EFFORTS TO ERODE A PILLAR OF AMERICAN GOVERNANCE HAVE JUST REMINDED EVERYONE WHY THAT PILLAR IS SO CRUCIAL. THESE EFFORTS TO ATTACK JUDICIAL INDEPENDENCE REMIND US THAT INDEPENDENCE IS ESSENTIAL. EVERY TIME DEMOCRATS TRY TO THREATEN SITTING JUDGES, WE ARE REMINDED EXACTLY, EXACTLY WHY THE FRAMERS GAVE THEM LIFE TENURE AND SALARY PROTECTION. PRECISELY WHY THEY DID IT. EVERY TIME DEMOCRATS TOY WITH PACKING NEW SEATS ON THE COURT, WE’RE REMINDED EXACTLY WHY JUSTICE GINSBURG RECENTLY SAID, NINE SEEMS TO BE A GOOD NUMBER. JUSTICE GINSBURG SAID NINE SEEMS TO BE A GOOD NUMBER.
THE DISTINGUISHED MEN AND WOMEN OF THE SUPREME COURT DO NOT AND MUST NOT SERVE AT THE PLEASURE OF ANGRY PARTISANS. MUST NOT SERVE AT THE PLEASURE OF ANGRY PART PARTISANS. ME DO NOT NEED TO PAY ANY MIND TO UNHINGED THREATS AS SHAMEFUL AS THEY MAY BE. IN FACT, AS THE CHIEF JUSTICE REMINDED US YESTERDAY, THEY ARE DUTY BOUND TO PAY SUCH THINGS NO ATTENTION AT ALL. THEIR JOB DESCRIPTION IS SIMPLE. TO APPLY THE LAW TO THE FACTS AS THE CHIEF JUSTICE PUT IT, WITHOUT FEAR OR FAVOR FROM WHATEVER CORNER.
I HAVE GREAT CONFIDENCE THE COURT WILL DO JUST THAT. I’M CONFIDENT THAT IF THE FACTS AND THE CONSTITUTION WOULD HAVE LED THE COURT TO DISAPPOINT DEMOCRATS THE DAY BEFORE YESTERDAY, THEY WILL STILL FEEL FREE TO DO SO TODAY. AND TOMORROW. AND BEYOND, NOTWITHSTANDING THESE SHAMEFUL TACTICS.
NOW, I HAD HOPED I WOULD NOT NEED TO REITERATE WHAT EVERY REPUBLICAN SENATOR TOLD THE COURT IN AUGUST AFTER SENATE DEMOCRATS SENT THEIR THREATENING BRIEF. BUT TODAY I HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO SAY IT AGAIN. REPUBLICANS ARE ABSOLUTELY AND UNSHAKEABLY COMMITTED TO THE CORE CONSTITUTIONAL PRINCIPLE OF AN INDEPENDENT FEDERAL JUDICIARY JUDICIARY. THE CORE CONSTITUTIONAL PRINCIPLE OF AN INDEPENDENT FEDERAL JUDICIARY.
AS LONG AS THIS MAJORITY HOLDS THE GAVEL, WE WILL NEVER LET THE MINORITY LEADER’S DANGEROUS VIEWS BECOME POLICY. THIS MAJORITY WILL ENSURE THE ONLY CASUALTIES OF THIS RECKLESSNESS ARE THE REPUTATIONS OF THOSE WHO ENGAGE IN IT.
