The second day of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s Supreme Court confirmation hearings wrapped late Tuesday night after more than 12 hours of questioning from the Senate Judiciary Committee. There was a marked shift away from the gracious tone Senate Judiciary Chair Dick Durbin (D-IL) had set Monday as he initiated proceedings with thoughtful reflection on the momentous nature of Jackson’s nomination. If Jackson is confirmed, she would be the first Black woman and former public defender to serve on the Supreme Court.
Durbin’s remarks on Monday were followed by opening statement from 22 senators. Judge Jackson, 51, then introduced herself to the committee. She stressed her love of family and her faith, and spoke of her gratitude for mentors such as Justice Stephen Breyer for whom she clerked early in her career and would replace on the bench if confirmed, according to CNN.
Jackson also expressed her sincere desire to defend the Constitution and emphasized her “duty to be independent.”
“I decide cases from a neutral posture. I evaluate the facts, and I interpret and apply the law to the facts of the case before me, without fear or favor, consistent with my judicial oath.”
On Tuesday, however, GOP members wasted no time bombarding Jackson with a seemingly interminable string of questions that continued until nearly 11 p.m. EST, according to NPR. She defended her time as a public defender for Guantánamo Bay detainees and addressed Texas Senator Ted Cruz’s attempt to conflate her work as a judge with critical race theory in school curricula.
Jackson also responded to poorly substantiated claims from Missouri’s Republican Senator Josh Hawley, among others, that she had been too lenient in previous cases relating to child pornography. “Senator, sentencing is a discretionary act of a judge. But it’s not a numbers game,” she told Hawley. “The government, in this case and in others, has asked for a sentence that is substantially less than the guideline penalty,” Jackson later added, urging Congress to amend outdated laws in accordance with today’s digital landscape.
If all 50 Democratic senators vote for Jackson, she could be confirmed without a single Republican vote. Nevertheless, legal experts maintain that the hearings still bear significant consequences for the court’s credibility and Republican support of the White House. xThe Senate Judiciary Committee will resume their questioning Wednesday morning at 9 a.m. EST. Senators will then have the opportunity on Thursday to consult the American Bar Association and external witnesses on any unsettled points.
