stipulate he said and this is a direct quote, that in the senate it takes 60 votes on controversial matters. mitch mcconnell, in the senate it takes 60 votes on controversial matters. he has long stood for that proposition for the many years i have been here. a supreme court seat i believe needs meets the majority leader standard for 60 votes. i hope instead of crippling the senate in a partisan way, removing that 60 vote threshold for controversial matters like the supreme court, my republican friends consider the option of working together to find a solution we can both accept. it may seem like a novel concept around here, but that option is always on the table. thank you, i yield the floor.

>> a rally was held on the national wall in washington to protest the supreme court nomination of judge neil gorsuch. it was organized by coalition of groups as part of a national campaign called, the people's defense. senator macy of the judiciary committee is one of the speake speakers. [inaudible] >> everyone, please welcome to the stage, the president of the pro-choice america. [applause] smacked good morning, washington. [applause] joined by cities all over the country today. we are getting together to say one loud message of, we object. we object to trump's agenda. we object to the people he is

putting in place to do nothing but assert his agenda, and we certainly object to a lifetime appointment of a justice put in place by a president under investigation for collusion with russia. we checked, we object, we object. [applause] i was sitting in the hearing of neil gorsuch a couple of weeks ago when my phone started going off. it was my staff telling me that jim call me had just confirmed that president trump was currently under investigation with russia. i cannot believe, in that moment, that the same senate who had said our president obama was not legitimate to nominate a supreme court justice was moving forward with hearings for someone who is under

investigation from russia. that was just the last reason. the very last reason we needed to object to neil corset check for a lifetime appointment. we know he is terrible on women's rights. we know he is terrible on workers rights. we know he is terrible on voting rights. we know he's terrible on lgbt rights. we know that what runs through every single one of his decisions is a characteristic that we cannot have, that characteristic is a lack of compassion, a lack of ability to understand our lives, and certainly a lack of ability to judge our destiny. so, we will not have a, we do object. here with us today we have one of the very first courageous

senators who came out to stand with the people. she is on the senate judiciary committee and ask the hard question. she made neil gorsuch as squirm in his seat. she put his seat to the fire and she is now said not only will she vote against this judge, but she is going to stand with the people and filibuster his nomination. [applause] please welcome to the stage the senator from the great state of hawaii. [applause] >> aloha everybody. how many of you wash all four days of the gorsuch hearings? i have to hand it to you guys, after what we heard for as the events, week some of us call it

the event, as we decided what the heck is going to happen to our country, what happened is the next after the inauguration you had the march on washington and that started with a retired attorney, her name is teresa and she used social media and within a day 10000 people had said were going to do something and all across the country and all over the world this activism has not stopped since. that's because of you guys and all of us who have worked with you and are with you, that we stop trump care. [applause] . .

>> >> every tuesday to make sure i stated course. think he is so much. and what we do in hawaii we said we talk this story meaning that we don't tell that to other, we listen in and it is a wonderful way when we get together we say let's talk story about this though with neil gorsuch he said couple of things i think he told all the members that he has erhard but we were really looking for that part he told me the

federal courts are there to support minority rights of course, he did not respond to any questions to figure out the judicial philosophy and that is important because he would not have all these decisions to have these justices bring their entire life experience based on their life experience no see basically just that i will follow president. but the supreme court will set president. but what i saw was a disturbing trend to support corporate interest over individual rights. you know, the litany of cases like hobby lobby now suddenly we expect that

religious rights of companies over the thousands and thousands of women where a person was electrocuted he didn't think the company should be responsible for not training the person or the truck driver to nearly froze to negative if he did not think that truck driver made the right decision is not the man standing for all of us. so the democrats have a lot of questions but many were asking how wis fishing? kit you believe that? person that will be on the supreme court for decades making decisions to impact all of our lives we need somebody who will adhere to

the separation of powers and with roe v wade. and with the federalist society. and to support this. and hoodoo we support? eric garland? and also not a person from the heritage foundation. i want to thank you for your activism and what you're doing with the engagement that makes a huge difference

every tuesday when we hear about you across the country keeps me going. i think you from the bottom of my heart. >> as we care about the elegy bt rights allotted these cases will go to the supreme court. behalf to pay attention to the state legislature. because these cases and nate to make sure you are electing the people to the state legislature because we don't pay enough attention to that. aloha debated save beautiful

day and you are beautiful people. thank you so much. [cheers and applause] >> people for the american way. [applause] how are we doing this morning i am a campaign manager for people for the american way on behalf of the our members across the country of progressive allies pushing back against the extreme and the agenda of donald trump.

into a pose neil gorsuch to the united states supreme court i am also here today to share a personal story of an experience that nearly brought my life to an early end. in 2011 while traveling to work in north carolina i found myself caught in a house fire. as the building quickly went up in flames i realized my only chance of escape and survival was to climb onto the roof and jump from the third floor. i fractured my spine in four places, broke every river on the left side of my body punctured my left long

long, collapsed right along and shattered laugh scholer and suffered several other serious injuries and delayed and then ditched to brouwer's paralyzed from the next -- the neck down waiting for firefighters to find me. fortunately did make a full recovery and i am strong turnout in some ways maybe then i ever was before. but if not for the affordable care act by bush not have had health insurance and then on and look for hundreds of thousands of dollars and at the time working for a start up non-profit to pay me a small salary but unable to provide health insurance but

i was able to be covered under my parents' plan because i was under 26. [applause] today i am debt-free and pain free. [applause] fortunately last week the republicans failed to repeal a affordable care act at least for now but the fact that so many leaders are comfortable to diminish lives or lose the of all together because of the of lack of affordable and accessible health care is outrageous and a travesty. we need a supreme court justice who will stand with the people and not special interest.

[applause] a supreme court justice who is not beholden to that will do the right thing when difficult cases come before him or her and we need a supreme court justice to lookout for those that are the most vulnerable among us including a 23 year-old to almost dies because of an extremely event. judge gorsuch is not bad judge -- and that judge to let the democratic senators know that we want to hold the line on the filibuster next week and our lives depend on it.

because you never know when it might prove to be true. [applause] >> please welcome our muslim community activist. [applause] >> good morning. it is great to see you here in opposition to the gorsuch nomination to the supreme court we have to use every legal tool at our disposal to oppose the illegitimate administration of donald trump. we did it when they tried to do the muslims and nl the supreme court nominee. quickly i want to talk about

when donald trump signed his executive order their more americans across the country who were afraid life felt that they did not belong here. and they are still afraid today. these are people who have contributed to this country as doctors, police officers officers, fully -- fire for orders -- firefighters people who were u.s. citizens but they felt unwanted. i remember being announced should read travel outside the country if i leave for a vacation will then let me back and? that is not the america i was raised in in those and not our values. i bring that up because the judiciary is so important to

our balance of power all the people in my community who are afraid resaw the ninth court circuit decision to stop the band it shows the world that our system works berger right now then judiciary is the one branch of government that has our back and standing up for the rights to have these policies what they are as racist and hatemongers donald trump would back and tried to do it again then we saw in hawaii were shot down again. i want everyone to remember that this is a nominee whose

dance with trompe ended shown he is not willing to separate politics with work when we have such issues trying to strip millions of people from health care coverage for break apart families from immigration policies and going against working class people that they don't have the ability to bring back so this is an important time in history. thanks for being here. let's stop the nomination. [applause] next, every voice. >> good morning thanks everyone for coming this morning we are from every

voice fighting for democracy that works for everyone. i have one question for you to mingle or money in our elections? those people that do not agree with us over and over were saying that corporations are people and with the citizens united they want to voice in our elections and on every single thing we care about neil gorsuch cares for the wealthy in the powerful to give them more power and will make it harder for the voice is to matter elections and make it easier for the billionaires' to spend millions more. this is a direct affront to lower american values this

means dirty energy companies can buy the policies they want to pollute our air endanger our climate to spend millions for those policies that crashed the economy. reno he will side with the corporate millionaire's not us is that what we want? unit that is why he cannot get a seat on the supreme court we here to oppose gorsuch. we deserve democracy that works for every single one of us not just the wealthy and powerful. keep up the pressure. this is the week. call your senators have your friends and family call we cannot leave any stone unturned. this is our fight it is a

lifetime seat together ricans stop the corporate takeover of the supreme court with our democracy. [applause] >> iraq's guest from united extreme. [applause] >> good morning. is an absolute honor to be with you today i am undocumented and unafraid and here to stay. [cheers and applause] this election season has been difficult. lou remembers where they were when they announced the results? at that moment i was in a

room full of undocumented women figuring out how do we win immigration reform with a hillary clinton administration end in a moment of deep pain behalf to bring those moments together to say this is a much different moment than we thought some said i'm scared some several happen to me and my kids but one woman from florida said fen united we dream that is largest number in the country said i want to pray for him and pray for donald trump that god gives him wisdom. i know workers have been

answered but not that one specifically. he is part of the races demonstration that donald trump gets to put an end to end documented people will suffer if this man is on the supreme court berger 11 million people right now just thinking of the of doc a recipient who is bennett -- has been retained more than a month because not one to reject him from this country. people like gorsuch will have to make a decision a summit like me has the right to come out to speak to say i am undocumented and unafraid.

so in this moment of uncertainty and no people like you will stand with me and they will help the prayers so in this moment we have to grounder so of what we want which is gorsuch with of racist agenda and we oppose that we object that the same time we're looking forward to the future we will create together where i will be able to stand here without fear to declare i am undocumented were a woman does have to pray for the safety of perkins -- of her kids and can do with everyone to do with your body that people can marry

whoever they want to marry i believe in the future united we dream believes in that future enemy will not back down. me will not step back. not one step back. we are together. not one step back. [applause] >> thing give for being here and to our friends standing behind us.

and how awesome the energy is today with the dozens of other cities that are opposing neil gorsuch to lifetime appointment to the supreme court berger want to ask everyone to take out your phones pulled up your social media platform of choice into your friends and family why you are here today. everyone know what you object to neil gorsuch we of heard amazing stories today with the this is a lifetime appointment so take this moment to send the picture tweet donald trump to let him know that we object. thank you. [applause]

>> [applause] >> how are you doing today greg siam's so glad to be here today to represent a national organization that has a chapter here and washington d.c.. we look through the black clear lyons -- queer lens 45 has nominated nothing but racist misogynist ill-prepared people one after another a push to

close the civil-rights position at the department of justice to be more concerned about grizzly bears them protecting our children especially the black children and recently said but lyft end lyft is not selected so now of judge gorsuch and other conservative who is not legally allowed to tell us how he feels but we can alter his actions on the court of appeals. we can tell how he feels and our committee especially black people in police fatality. -- brutality.

is this time of four story time. this is out he feels about black people or how police should be interacting with our communities. one takes places in colorado a 22 year-old young man had marijuana a police officer confronted and the young man ran that police officer chased them and grabbed 10 taste them in their dead end killed him on-the-spot judge portion h. decided to protect the of police officer said he did not know it was unconstitutional to kill somebody by taking them in the head -- using the taser on the head. the next child was 67 pounds

and a police research officer came in to grab the child to put them in the armlocks and handcuffed him in school. neil gorsuch decided to protect the police officer instead of the child to say what the child's fault the police officer used excessive force this is how gorsuch fields -- feels that the police should be interacting with our community teaching right from wrong so in less than 100 days there is the attack on the department of justice or our education system and now although last line of defense course it is part of their agenda.

gorsuch has to be stopped. [cheers and applause] [applause] >> now from the national ldp t task force. >> good morning beautiful people. thanks for coming out here including those behind care -- hear that we object ago reproductive council for the national lgbtq taskforce. we object as an organization we understand how one important of lifetime position is to assess the supreme court over 40 year term he could have on the

supreme court that is detrimental to all of us who believe in justice the rights of workers over corporations we object and we recessed we know judge course it has ruled terribly over reproductive rights for all people who could become pregnant me know that he is not going to protect transgendered rights and they will look at this case very soon we cannot have someone on the court that would not allow someone to go to the restroom that is associated with their gender identity. this is not his choice it is a personal choice we have to

show our senators we know that and we are watching them. we did this with trump care every single day every out word tell your friends or grandmother they need to call every single day we need to make sure there will still object or hold the to filibuster because it is too important because all of our rights depend on it. we are what democracy looks like this is not what it looks like. and us standing out here right now this is democracy and in may continued to

fight this together. [applause]