Justice Kagan has done the same thing Justice Sotomayor has done the same Thing and yet none of my Democrat Colleagues care Because this is a political attack Directed at a Justice they hate Senator Cruz In 1991 Justice Clarence Thomas appeared Before this committee in one of the most Disgraceful performances by the Senate Judiciary Committee in our nation's History Justice Thomas rightly described the Treatment he got from then chairman Joe Biden and Senate Democrats as they quote High-tech lynching It is sad to see 30 years later this Committee is again engaged in the same Despicable tactics Senate Democrats and their lap dogs in The media are engaged in a twofold Political campaign Number one to delegitimize the Supreme Court of the United States because They're angry that there are a majority Of constitutionalists on the court But number two very directly this is a Political campaign designed to smear Justice Clarence Thomas And the reason is simple the left Despises Clarence Thomas And they do not despise him because he's A conservative the left despises Clarence Thomas because he is a
Conservative African-American here's What Clarence Thomas said at that Confirmation hearing he said if you are A free-thinking African-American quote You will be lynched destroyed and Caricatured by a committee of the U.S Senate Well in three decades that hasn't Changed and it's gotten worse and to be Clear here's the left's view I point to one article just three weeks Ago the Democrats need to destroy Clarence Thomas's reputation they'll Never successfully impeach him but so What make him a metaphor for every Insidious thing the far right has done To this country That's what the left is trying to do and I will tell you if you look at the next Next poster board the left has Repeatedly attacked Clarence Thomas with A racism this is a magazine cover that Showed Justice Scalia every bit as Conservative as Clarence Thomas But he's portrayed as the master and Clarence Thomas in a bigoted attack Is portrayed as shining his shoes I'll Show you another one to give you a sense Of the racist vitriol from the left Here's a racist caricature of Clarence Thomas lawn jockey for the far right This is the bigoted contempt the left Has I'll show you another another Magazine cover offensively
This is how the left views Clarence Thomas now it's important for people at Home to understand this is not about Judicial ethics you can take those down This is not about judicial ethics This is not about rules that should Apply to judges across the board we Could have a reasonable discussion about That This is about applying a double standard To Clarence Thomas and only Clarence Thomas The attack that my Democrat colleagues Breathlessly repeat is that Clarence Thomas stayed at the vacation home of a Very close friend of his a successful Texas businessman flew on his plane and Went on his yacht Well if that's the standard going and Traveling and being paid for by others Then guess what just about every Supreme Court justice has done so And done so in much greater numbers Justice Thomas was appointed in 1991 in The time since then he's taken 109 Reported trips five International trips Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was Appointed in 199’ two years later in the Time she was on the court she took 157 trips including 28 International Trips Mr Payne yes or no do you think Ruth Bader Ginsburg was corrupt No
Nor do I Ruth Bader Ginsburg was not alone Justice Stephen Breyer appointed the Year later in 1994 took 23’ reported Trips including 6’ International Trips Again yes or no Mr Payne do you think Stephen Breyer was corrupt No nor do I I would point out Justice Kagan has done the same thing Justice Sotomayor has done the same thing and Yet none of my Democrat colleagues care Because this is a political attack Directed at a Justice they hate and by The way let's spend a moment focusing on Justice Stephen Breyer a delightful Human being someone I know personally Someone who served decades on the Court Justice Stephen Breyer repeatedly Traveled on the penny of a prominent Democratic billionaire the pritzker Family Now JB pritzner Is the Democrat Governor of the state of Illinois from which our chairman hails I I would be shocked if the chairman of This committee has not had multiple Meals with the pritzker family Justice Breyer was a long time member of The board that awarded the pritzker Architecture prize now what did that Mean that meant Justice Breyer traveled On the dime of these Democrat Billionaires in 2019 Justice Breyer Traveled to New York City to Vancouver
And Paris in 2018 Justice Breyer traveled to Ireland and Spain in 2016 he traveled to New York Spain and France in 201’ he traveled to Norway Sweden Denmark in 201’ he Traveled to Beijing into London All of this paid for by the pritzker Foundation now none of my Democrat Colleagues are mad about this and let me Be clear I'm not suggesting Justice Breyer is corrupt what I'm suggesting is This committee is corrupt because this Is a kangaroo circuit circus and I will Note we had 15 Senate Democrats Including six members of this committee Send a letter to the Appropriations Committee threatening to cut off the Funding for security at the Supreme Court The left is willing to threaten the Lives of the justices Justice Samuel Alito this weekend in the Wall Street Journal said that the attacks directed At the justices are making them targets Of assassination This is disgraceful Every senator who signed this letter Should be embarrassed Mr chairman I ask Unanimous consent that this letter be Admitted into the record and also that That the interview with Justice Alito From this weekend being entered into the Record Democrats can have disagreements based
On law But this attempt to delegitimize the Court this attempt to personally smear Clarence Thomas is dishonest And everyone in the media echoing it is Participating in a shameful reprise Of 1991's high-tech lynching