You can also stay current with the latest episodes of washington journal and find scheduling information for cspans tv networks and cspan radio, plus a variety of compelling podcasts. Cspan now is available at the apple store and google play. Scan the qr code to download it for free today. Or visit our website. Cspan now, your front row seat to washington anytime, anywhere. Next, the Funeral Service today for the Late Supreme CourtJustice Sandra day oconnor at National Cathedral and washington, d. C. Speakers include president biden, her son, jay oconnor, chief justice john roberts, and historian evan thomas. Please stand if you are able. With face faith in jesus christ, we receive the body of our sister, Sandra Day Oconnor, for burial. Let us pray with confidence to god the giver of life that he , will raise her to perfection in the company of the saints. Deliver your servant sandra, sovereign lord christ from all evil and set her free from every bond that she may rest with all your saints in the eternal habitations where with the father and the holy spirit you live and reign, one god, forever and ever. Amen. Let us also pray for all who mourn, that they may cast their care on god and know the consolation of his love. Almighty god, look with pity on the sorrows of your servants for whom we pray. Remember them in mercy, nourish them in patients, comfort them with a sense of your goodness, lift up your countenance upon them and give them peace through jesus christ our lord. Amen. [bell ringing] [bell ringing] i am resurrection and the life, sayeth the lord. Whoever has faith in me shall have life, even though he die. And everyone who has life, and has committed himself to me in faith, shall not die for ever. As for me, i know that my redeemer lives and that at the last people stand upon the earth. After my awaking, he will raise me up. And in my body i shall see god. I myself shall see, and my eyes behold him who is my friend and not a stranger. For none of us has life in himself, and none becomes his on master when he dies. For if we have life, we are alive in the lord, and if we and die, we die in the lord. So, then, whether we live or die, we are the lords possession. Happy from now on are those who die in the lord. So it is, says the spirit, for they rest from their labors. Good morning, i am the dean of washington National Cathedral. On behalf of the bishop of the diocese of washington and all of us at the cathedral, we are honored to hold this Service Today and we welcome you all to this house of prayer for all people. We say goodbye to a remarkable human being. Justice oconnor was a leader, a trailblazer, a model and a patriot. A devoted member of this cathedral community, she was kind enough to take time out of her busy schedule to serve two terms, a total of eight years on the chapter on the governing board this cathedral. Always a person of deep faith, she held firm to the highest ideals of her religion and country. During the funeral for president reagan, Justice Oconnor sat right in this spot and read a 16 30s sermon by john winthrop, in which he wrote, now the only way to provide for our posterity is to follow the counsel of micah, to walk humbly with our god. Sandra day oconnor did all three throughout her life. And her career, and we are a better country because of it. Thank you. President biden to the Oconnor Family, my wife and i send our love. On behalf of a truly grateful nation for her service. I am humbled to be asked to speak today. To the members of the clergy, chief justice, justice of the Supreme Court, past and present, members of the congress, distinguished guests and fellow americans. More than 40 years ago on a wednesday in september, 1981, the Senate Judiciary committee came to order. I was the Ranking Member of that committee. The days business was momentous. The nomination of Sandra Day Oconnor to become the first woman in American History to serve as a Supreme Court justice of the United StatesSupreme Court. Announcing her nomination earlier that summer, president reagan described her as a person for all seasons. It was a person of all seasons that we saw during that hearing. And americans and the world would see her Extraordinary Service as a justice and as a citizen. Gracious, wise, civil and principled, Sandra Day Oconnor, the daughter of the American West was a pioneer in her own right. Breaking down the barriers in the political world and the nations conscience. To her, the Supreme Court was the bedrock, the bedrock of america. It was the vital line of defense for the values and vision of our republic. Devoted not to pursue power for powers sake but to make real the promise of america. The american promise that holds that we are all created equal and deserve to be treated equally throughout our lives. The high courts that said, it is a body that all americans look for protection under rights. It is the u. S. Supreme court that we all turn when we seek that which we want most from our government. Equal justice under law. Equal justice under law is a noble aspiration of humankind, and aspiration of Sandra Day Oconnor, one that she pursued her whole life. The last justice to have held elective office, she was especially conscious of the laws impact on peoples lives. One need not agree with all her decisions in order to recognize that her principles were deeply held and have the highest order. And that her desire for civility was genuine. Her trust in the capacity to make life better is what this world was abiding. How she embodied such attributes under pressure and scrutiny empowered generations of women in every part of american life, including the court itself, helping to open doors, secure freedom and prove that a woman cannot only do everything a man can do and do it a lot better. Beyond the bench, Justice Oconnor valued the life of the nation, our schools and Community Centers and in our families and in our friendships. Yes, america is a land of rugged individualists, adventurers and entrepreneurs, but she knew that no person is an island. The fabric of our nation, we are all inextricably linked and for america to thrive, america must see themselves not as enemies but as partners in the great war of deciding our collective destiny. That is the essence of our national experience, the sacred cause of democracy that she devoted her life to, one that we must continue. I will close with how she did with her Opening Statement. On that september day, 42 years ago. She spoke about the power of family. Family, the hope of the world, strength of community, relationship between ourselves and the generations that follow. To her sons, scott, brian, and jay, she admired your intellect. You may recall that. We all saw on that day and all those years after how much she loved your dad. A brilliant lawyer, always supported her. The entire family, including the grandchildren and now after all these years, watching a disease that robbed them both and all of you of so very much. I hope you hold on to what is never truly lost, the love both of them had for you, a love that you had for them. A love that they shared so freely, and a love that you returned with equal devotion. What a gift. What a gift. I hope that you find comfort in another profound consequence of her service. The countless families that she helped by speaking so openly about your familys experiences. It matters. In that Opening Statement on that day in september, she mentioned how your parents got married in december. Here we gather today, the day before it would have been their 71st wedding anniversary. I know the anniversaries and the birthdays, the moments big and small, will be hard without them. But as the saying goes, memory is the power to gather roses in winter. I hope you find the strength in knowing that your mom and dad are together again this december, gathering roses in winter once again, both great americans for all seasons. May god bless Sandra Day Oconnor, an american pioneer. Day by day and with each passing moment, strength i find to meet my trials here; trusting in my fathers wise bestowment, ive no cause for worry or for fear. He whose heart is kind beyond all measure gives unto each day what he deems best lovingly, its part of pain and pleasure, mingling toil with peace and rest. Every day the lord himself is near me with a special mercy for each hour; all my cares he fain would bear, and cheer me, he whose name is counselor and power. The protection of his child and treasure is a charge that on himself he laid as your days, your strength shall be in measure, this the pledge to me he made. Help me then in every tribulation so to trust your promises, o lord, that i lose not faiths sweet consolation offered me within your holy word. Help me, lord, when toil and trouble meeting, eer to take, as from a fathers hand, one by one, the days, the moments fleeting, till i reach the promised land. Till i reach the promised land. When Sandra Day Oconnor was a little girl, growing up on the vast and majestic lazy b ranch, she asked her father, daddy, why dont we go to church on sunday . And he answered, well, church is too far and the preacher is no good. And, he said, church is all around us here. In washington, Sandra Day Oconnor found her church. On many sundays she read scripture in the Bethlehem Chapel at the National Cathedral, but her temple, you might say, was white marble building on 1st st. Northeast. When she got to the Supreme Court in september 1981, she was the first woman justice in our history, in 200 years. On tv, many watched a selfpossessed, handsome woman with a gap tooth smile disarmed the senators, all of them male. The vote to confirm her was 990. The law had loman dominated by men. Start today graduated near the top of her class. The lawyer interviewing her asked, how can you type . She was never better. She went to the das office. She said she said she would work for free. The harder and. Her. Once she , never looking she made it her business to make the justices come to lunch, not to talk about cases but to get to know each other. If they did not go to lunch, they would go to the chambers than just sit there. When Clarence Thomas came on the court, he told me he did not feel like going to lunch, but after conference he walked down and said clarence, you need to go to lunch. He felt he belonged. She was the glue. Justice oconnor who had rounded up cattle as a teenage girl expected you to do your job, thoroughly. One of the law clerks taped this message. She was tough, she could be and she called to south bossi. Every year she looks at the cherry blossoms. She took them on fishing trips and when she caught the big one, she would yell hot diggity dog. She was never small minded. She looked up and so you have to be selfless. Mark case in womens rights. Justice stevens assigned the opinion to Justice Oconnor she said no. Some pundits began writing about the oconnor court. Thats not the way she looked at it. She did not like being called fickle. She came to view the court as an institution engaged in federal, state and local. She had a feel for where the country was on difficult issues like abortion rights and religious freedom. She knew that when progress comes it would be thoughtful and considered. Its good to be first but she doesnt want to be the last. Happy she would be four women justices on the. She told her clerks to never be above people. She decided to leave the court to take care of her husband who has alzheimers. She said its my turn to sacrifice for him. She was devoted to the rule of law and was relentless about putting the word, traveling all over the globe to do it. After she left the court, she made a crusade of teaching civics to school kids. Civics, stability, the rule of law. She had a civic religion. The unwritten rules and fairness and decency. How lucky she was, how much we miss her area. It is said is like a family composed of inlaws. 42 years ago i was assigned to help judge oconnor, it was my first day in a new job with the Justice Department and i was proud to be out of her team. I thought the group to do good job, after all, the justice was confirmed 990. I should have learned her approach was simple and direct. Get it done. Justices have a style on the bench. Back and forth. Some badger councils. Others spell out a theory and asked for comment. All of this is fine versus good but Justice Oconnor was different. The justice would jump in before her colleagues could with a wellprepared question, the question was clear, direct, even and then seated carefully. He went to the heart of the case with no fluff. The approach was, lets get what is most of to me at the outset. She saw a problem and solution she wanted to get it done so they could rest easy. Justice a headset for an actual debate but a second vacancy and delays led to her and i sitting together for more than half of the next term. That was enough time for another lesson. She and i were discussing a case in chambers and i think she retired. She simply got up and said just have to decide. There was not patients but i dont think it was entirely due to me. She made her own decision about the future and announced her retirement six months earlier. I think she was anxious to get it done. The last several weeks after her passing i had spoken with many women judges and lawyers who were young adults. They say the same thing. Younger people cannot understand what it was like before Justice Oconnor said the distance is a measure of time but also a measure of her life and work. She was a strong, influential and iconic tourists. Makes it obvious the judges are both women and men. The time seems so far away as Justice Oconnor was so good when she was on the bench. Sandra day oconnor had to study the launch a career when most of the promotion did not want women lawyers, let alone judges. She had to find her own style to unite colleagues when there was no example to follow for the First Female Senate leader in the country. She had to ignore slights and work to bring people together in social, professional, all the while setting a model is the first woman on the job. She had to fight for dignity and respect. She had to speak and it inspire about the necessity, so our generation and the next i have a roadmap safeguarded with all the gifts god has given us. She had to be the most important woman in the government and a devoted wife with her devoted husband john, raise sends who they were so very out. And she got it done. I am day oconnor. Normally, my voice is not quite this raspy but after a very sore throat i was almost unable to speak but i will do my best. The entire Oconnor Family is truly, truly honored and grateful for your generous words about our mother. We gladly shared our mother with the nation for 40 years. Imagine what it means to her sons and grandsons to hear the tribute you have given today, and the outpouring of public admiration since her death. I would like to share view all a personal portrait focusing on what she loved, what she believed in what she likes, especially as a mom. I should note i asked the choir to rig into a lively song if my emotions get the better of me. Her first love was the lazy b ranch in arizona where she was raised and she could see forever. She loved books. Growing up 30 miles from town was an isolating experience. Books transported her to another place and led her to stanford and beyond. Should love the law and this report. She loved our country and democracy. Most of all, she loved her family. From her father, she learned toughness. From her mother she learned how to handle any situation with grace. Our relationship was one for the ages. Despite the flaws, she loved her three sons and adored her daughtersinlaw and grandchildren. In 2006, she stepped down from the Supreme Court. She became concerned that citizens are disengaged from democracy. She saw so clearly, decades before anyone else that democracy cannot be taken for granted. The rolebased games were all great. The concert took off, today half of middle and High School Kids in this country and half of schools. Let me put her accomplishment in another way. At the age of 78, our mom led a nonprofit startup, within 10 years she achieved over 85 market share and 50 market penetration. Not too shabby. Related years ago, while going through my moms papers, i came across middle school and high school. Her marks were sterling. I was shocked to see something. A scarlet letter. In the first semester the fun of her classes, imagine what class it was in. Civics. She once got a b in civics. I ask you this. Based on her dedication to promoting the rule of law, do you think she has earned enough extra credit to raise that to n a . [laughter] [applause] what was she like . Quite simply, she was a force of nature. When she walked into a room, everything was more vivid. She willed things into action. People had a hard time saying no to her. She had on earthly energy. Her way of relaxing was to play three sets of tennis for 18 holes of garth. She would often drag people out rain or shine. She brainwashed us to think this was normal. Did we really need to go to a three family party and square dance hall in one night . It was not normal. She drew people in, took an interest in them and made them feel special. Evan thomas said a few minutes ago, she could be known as bossy. Well, her family can