I'm Lana Ulrich, in-house counsel at the National Constitution Center, and welcome

to We The People, a weekly show of constitutional debate.

The National Constitution Center is a nonpartisan nonprofit chartered by Congress to increase awareness

and understanding of the Constitution among the American people.

This week we bring you a special episode of We The People, featuring Senators Jeff

Flake and Chris Coons, in conversation with host Jeffrey Rosen, recorded live this week at the Atlantic Festival in Washington, D.C.

The Senators discuss their important role in the Kavanaugh confirmation hearings, including

their last-minute agreement to pause the nomination to allow for an FBI investigation of current

allegations against Judge Kavanaugh. They also share their hopes and fears for the

future of the Senate and the Supreme Court and how political tribalism today threatens the legitimacy of these American institutions.

Here's Bob Cohn, president of the Atlantic to get us started.

Thank you, Jeffrey, Alex, and Jeff.

We'd like to conclude the day with Article I

of the Constitution, the Congress.

So we turned to two men at the center of our national conversation right now,

both members of the Senate Judiciary Committee and together they are the architects of a process that is playing

out right now in real time.

They broke away from a leadership meeting

to be with us today, and we're grateful to have them.

Please welcome Jeff Flake, Republican of Arizona. And Chris Coons, down.

And Chris,

and Chris Coons, Democrat of Delaware, they're here with Jeff Rosen.

...