I want to thank my children, alicia, here everyday with me in court and brought my lovely granddaughter, evangelina to new jersey, so i could remember what i had to fight on for, my son, rob, who testified on my behalf and then joined his sister in court and kept me company and even let me beat him in a round of golf. Im so blessed to have two great children. I love you so much, i cant i cant truly thank you. I want to thank my sister and her husband, pete, their presence in the bible passages my sister would send me every morning were an incredible strength to me. I want to thank the melgen family for their Constant Friendship and their faith in our innocence. I wish my dear friend, sal, success in his continuing search for justice. I want to thank my defense team as well as dr. Melgens attorneys, abbey law, ne nations premier defense attorney, who methodically tore apart the governments case, his partner, jenny cramer, former prosecutor turned advocate for justice, ray brown, whose insights were invaluable, and his associates, greg hillster and justine, who gave their total commitment to our cause, and to dr. Melgens defense team, for their invaluable roles. I want to thank the jury, 12 New Jerseyans, who saw through the governments false claims and used their jersey common sense to reject it. I appreciate their service. I appreciate their sacrifice and time away from their family and professions. I want to thank my colleague, senator cory booker, who has been supportive from day one, traveled the state and spread the good word, was here on the first day of trial, and came and testified and was in my mind a profile encourage. I know many close to him urged him not to testify, but its the measure of an incredible man who is willing not only to use his personal reputation, but take a risk in order to see justice done. He is a Public Servant of unlimited potential who could just easily serve our country in the highest office of all of the land. Ill never for get it, corey, and you have my gratitude and respect forever. I also want to thank senator lindsey graham, my friend and colleague, for once again crossing the aisle and coming to testify as to my character, my truthfulness and my honesty. While i know he came as a friend, i appreciate the Political Capital he used as a republican to come and testify on behalf of a democrat colleague. Thats rare indeed in todays politics. I want to thank the clergy of all different denominations who stood with me, strengthened me and, yes, prayed with me. Im so thankful for your spiritual comfort and support. I want to thank carey magrel, a leader in the autistic community, the bishop and others for all being character witnesses. I want to thank the hundreds of New Jerseyans i encountered along the last 10 weeks who overwhelmingly expressed their support and more importantly their prayers. I want to thank my staff both in d. C. And new jersey for their loyalty and above all their dedication to the people of new jersey, especially fred turner, my chief of staff, mike solomon my political director and mike ortega, my special assistant. Let me say a few things. The way this case started was wrong, the way it was investigated was wrong. The way it was prosecuted was wrong, and the way it was tried was wrong as well. Certain elements of the fbi and of our state cannot understand or even worse, accept that the latino kid from union city and Hudson County can grow up to be a United States senator and be honest. I cant even begin to tell you how many people have come to tell me that the fbi went to them and asked them, what can you give us on menendez. That is not what the fbi and department of justice is supposed to be doing. They are not supposed to be leaking to the press during the early stages of their investigation, which violated my rights to a fair process. Ive made my share of mistakes, but my mistakes were never a crime. Ive learned through this process a lot about our system of justice. It is truly a system of justice you can afford. I understand why so Many Americans feel that justice is elusive. But for supporters from across the country who believed in me, who knew who i am and what i stand for, i could never have afforded the millions of dollars this case has cost. So my gratitude to all those New Jerseyans and americans from across the country who believed in me and helped me mount my Legal Defense against the millions of dollars spent by the overwhelming weight of the federal government. Ive also learned about the incredible weight and power of the federal government and how it can crush you if it wants to. It gives me an even greater resolve to make sure there is a check to that awesome power. Where do i go to . What office of the federal government gives me back the past 2 1 2 years of my life . Where do i go to to have the damage they sought to in cured to my reputation. What department is it that replaces it . Let me share some final thoughts. To those who left me, who abandoned me in my darkest moment, i forgive you. To those who embraced me in my darkest moment, i love you. To those New Jerseyans who gave me the benefit of the doubt, i thank you. To those who have a doubt, i will work harder than ever before so that there is no doubt. To those in the press who did their job and did it with professionalism and even to some of you who were actually kind, wheres dominic . I dont see him. Dominic. I believe you showed others what a professional press is all about and why that freedom is so important to our society. To those who were digging my political grave so that they could jump into my seat, i know who you are and i wont forget you. Finally, let me answer the question that i could not answer before the trial was over. Why didnt i testify . There is nothing more i wanted to do but to tell my story. I am proud of the thousands of people i helped in new jersey and across the country who i have helped with their visas, reuniting families and very often bringing people who were denied so they could save the life of a loved one. I am proud of my work to have 100 port scanning, something i have been a champion of and believe is in the Vital National security interest of the United States, to secure it and stop the flow of drugs. My fight to save medicare hundreds of millions of dollars, i believe we cant afford to throw out good medicine when we can carefully administer it to patients. But a trial is not a debate, its not a public forum, its a legal proceeding. My testimony on direct and cross examination would have likely taken days. That means we would have put at risk losing one of the jurors who was told she would be excused to go on a preplanned vacation, and we collectively felt, by the way she reacted to different parts of the prosecution and defenses presentations, that she believed in our innocence, and we didnt want to lose her. Boy, were we right on that. We still lost her. Secondly, the prosecution would have used me to redo their entire meritless case in chief all over again, including having me read emails and other materials that were not mine, but would have put my voice and my name, for their purpose, in essence, giving them an additional summation before their final summation. So that was just a small window into my thinking. Anyone who knows me knows i never seek a fight. They also know i never shy away from one. This wasnt a fair fight. Ive spent 43 years, my entire adult life, in Public Service to the people of new jersey and the nation. It has been one of my greatest privileges. I have served with honesty and integrity and given it my all everyday. I am proud of what i have been able to accomplish for the people of new jersey. I am proud many young people and many from the Hispanic Community look at me and say its possible to grow up poor, live in a tenement, go to public schools, be the first in your family to go to college and rise to be one of 100 United States states senators in a country of 310 million people. I look forward to going back to washington, to fight for the people of new jersey and many across the country to help them realize their hopes, their dreams, their aspirations. Today is resurrection day and i want to thank god once again for allowing me to stand before you as i walked woo this courthouse 11 weeks ago an innocent man. This weekend on book tv, live coverage of the Miami Book Fair starting saturday at 10 30 a. M. Eastern, Msnbcs Chris Matthews on the political life of bobby kennedy, best selling biographer isaacson on Leonardo Da Vinci and khan on his immigration to the United States and katie tur covering the trump campaign. Our live coverage continues sunday at 10 30 a. M. Eastern with journalist Cheryl Attkisson how smear tactics are used to influence public opinion. Commentator an his thoughts on the conservative movement. Cnns van jones weighs in on partisan politics and the president emer tas of Spellman College looks at Race Relations in the United States. Watch our weekend coverage this weekend on cspan2s book tv. This weekend, cspans cities tour takes you to burlington, vermont. With the help of our Comcast Cable partners well explore the literary and history scene of burlington on the shores of lake chamblain. Author bill players discusses their book the full vermonty in the age of trump. Bill wanted to put out a book because vermont is, i think, voted Hillary Clinton in greater numbers than any other state. Remember, its a small state so it doesnt amount to that much. But the numbers were impressive so he wanted to put together a book where people in the state answered the question, what do we do now with trump in charge . Trump in obviously, in my view, against most of the values and characteristics that vermonters have. Sunday at 2 00 p. M. Eastern on American History tv hear about revolutionary war hero and vermont founding father ethan allen. He was the first colonel commandant of the original Green Mountain boys. They were at one time the Largest Paramilitary Force in north america. If not for the actions of ethan allen and the other Green Mountain boys, vermont may very well have looked different than it does today. Then, a visit to the maritime museum. Americas first great lake when it comes to historic significance. It is a 120 mile long water super highway that cuts between the Green Mountains of vermont and adirondacks of new york. Watch cspan citys tour of burlington, vermont, 6 30 p. M. Eastern on saturday and sunday at 2 00 p. M. Americans history tv on cspan3, working with our cable affiliates as we explorer america. Both chambers of commerce are out today and next week for the thanksgiving recess. Before leaving down the house passed its tax reform plan. 227205. 13 republicans join all democrats in voting against the bill. On the senate side the finance committee joined the finance Committee Version 1412 and expect to see debate the week after thanksgiving. If it passes they will need to combine the house and senate bills aiming to get a measure to president trumps desk by christmas. Follow the house live on cspan and senate on cspan2. The house this week passed the republican tax reform plan by a vote of 227205. The finance committee in the senate pass their version, 1412. Were joined by politico tax and Financial Services reporter, colin wilhelm. How big of