"Our country has traveled an incredible journey in the fight to guarantee civil rights to all Americans. From the days when Thurgood Marshall took Brown vs. the Board of Education to the Supreme Court through the present, an important part of this battle has taken place in the federal court system. The American people should know whether John Roberts will protect their consitutional rights if confirmed as a Justice to the Court.

I hope that both Judge Roberts and the Bush Administration will release all documents related to his professional record, including memoranda written during his time in the Justice Department. These documents should be released to the Congress in their entirety. The Senate has a challenge to meet its constitutional responsibility in the months ahead, and we can not do our duty if either Judge Roberts or the Bush Administration hides elements of his professional record. The Senate,and the American people, need to know the truth about Judge Roberts' record to make a proper judgment."

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