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After sitting through hours of soliloquies from members of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday, Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson will face dozens of questions about her career on the second day of her confirmation hearing.
The first day of hearings featured opening statements from all 22 committee members as well as Jackson, who would be the first Black woman on the Supreme Court if confirmed.
“If I am confirmed, I commit to you that I will work productively to support and defend the Constitution and this grand experiment of American democracy that has endured over these past 246 years,” she told the panel, later adding: “I have been a judge for nearly a decade now. And I take that responsibility and my duty to be independent very seriously.”
Tuesday’s questioning will begin at 9 a.m., with each senator getting up to 30 minutes to quiz Jackson in order of seniority.
The DC Circuit Court of Appeals judge is expected to face questions from Republicans about her time as a public defender – when she counted a Guantanamo Bay terror detainee among her clients – and her philosophy about sentencing for crimes like child pornography.
On Monday, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) raised several cases in which he said Jackson gave out lenient sentences to child porn offenders, a line of inquiry he previewed last week.
“I think there’s a lot to talk about there and I look forward to talking about it,” Hawley said, adding: “Now I will note that some have said that the federal sentencing guidelines are too harsh on child sex crimes, especially child pornography. I’ve heard that argument a lot in recent days … I’ll just be honest, I can’t say that I agree with that.”
Jackson may also face inquiries about racial issues, abortion and a push by some members of her party to increase the overall number of Supreme Court justices.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) hinted that she will question the judge on her “hidden agenda” and “judicial philosophy.”
“So I can only wonder: What’s your hidden agenda? Is it to let violent criminals, cop-killers and child predators back to the streets? Is it to restrict parental rights and expand government’s reach into our schools and our private family decisions?” Blackburn asked. “Is it to support the radical left’s attempt to pack the Supreme Court? … Is it your personal hidden agenda to incorporate critical race theory into our legal system? These are answers that the American people need to know.”
Jackson, who has previously been confirmed by the Senate to three federal posts, was nominated by President Biden last month to fill retiring Justice Stephan Breyer’s seat.
Democrats are looking to finish her confirmation process before the Senate recesses in mid-April.
If confirmed, Jackson would join the court for its next term in October.
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