Biden’s Supreme Court pick Ketanji Brown Jackson testifies for second day: LIVE UPDATES

On Mar 23, 2022

On Monday, Republicans appeared to lay the groundwork for attacks on Jackson’s nomination, raising concerns about her record and her judicial philosophy.

Ranking Member Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, appeared set up an attack against Jackson not just that she’s soft on crime, but that she’s willing to let her personal opinion dictate the outcome of a case.

“The most important thing that I look for is a nominee’s view of the law, judicial philosophy and view on the role of a judge in our constitutional system,” he said. “I’ll be looking to see whether Judge Jackson is committed to the Constitution as originally understood.”

“The courts are not vested with a policymaking authority. According to our Constitution, courts hear cases and controversies and decide them. Nothing more, nothing less,” Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, added. “That’s an important distinction to remember in the days that lie ahead.”

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., raised concerns about an alleged pattern of Jackson handing down soft sentences for child porn offenses. In his comments, Hawley laid out several examples of cases in which Jackson gave child porn offenders fewer months in prison than either sentencing guidelines recommended or federal prosecutors requested.

In one case, Hawley said, federal guidelines recommended 151-188 months in prison and the prosecution asked for 72 months in prison. Jackson gave the defendant 60 months, Hawley said, “which was the lowest sentence permitted by the law.”

“What concerns me… is that in every [child porn] case [in which she had discretion]… Judge Jackson handed down a lenient sentence that was below what the federal guidelines recommended,” Hawley said. “Some have said that the federal sentencing guidelines are too harsh on child sex crimes… I can’t say I agree with that.”