We at the moment are on the midway level of nowadays’s wondering of Ideal Court docket nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson within the Senate Judiciary Committee.
The second one day of her affirmation hearings kicked off at 9 a.m. ET, and Jackson has been protecting her judicial file as she’s confronted intense wondering from Republican senators.
Republicans have tried to painting the nominee as susceptible on crime by way of zeroing in on a few of her previous protection paintings and feature raised questions over her judicial philosophy as they warn in opposition to activism, and prescribing coverage results, from the bench.
Jackson addressed and disputed the ones criticisms by way of stressing her worry for public protection and the rule of thumb of regulation, each as a pass judgement on and an American. She argued that she approaches her paintings in an independent manner and that private critiques don’t play a task.
When pressed by way of Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, who serves as the highest Republican at the Judiciary Committee, Jackson sidestepped a query comparable as to whether she supported increasing the Ideal Court docket to incorporate greater than 9 justices.
“This is a coverage query for Congress,” she mentioned. “I’m specifically conscious of now not chatting with coverage problems as a result of I’m so dedicated to staying in my lane.”
Democrats have to this point used the hearings to reward Brown — who will be the first Black girl to function a Ideal Court docket justice — as an exceptionally certified, trail-blazing nominee whose intensity and breadth of revel in, together with as a federal public defender, would upload a treasured and distinctive viewpoint to the bench.
Examine extra key moments from nowadays’s listening to to this point right here.
GOP Sen. Ben Sasse is wondering Jackson at the moment, and this is who will query her subsequent:
- Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal
- GOP Sen. Josh Hawley
- Democratic Sen. Mazie Hirono
- GOP Sen. Tom Cotton
- Democratic Sen. Cory Booker
- GOP Sen. John Kennedy
- Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla
- GOP Sen. Thom Tillis
- Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff
- GOP Sen. Marsha Blackburn
Senators would possibly ask questions of the nominee for half-hour each and every, in line with the agenda defined by way of the committee. The wondering is anticipated to stretch overdue into the night time.
CNN’s Clare Foran contributed reporting to this publish.
