Supreme Court Nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson went through a second day of Senate confirmation hearings Tuesday (March 22). During the hearing, the Judiciary Committee asked the 51-year-old her thoughts on key Supreme Court decisions, Critical Race Theory, and more.
Judge Jackson made history earlier this year becoming the first Black woman to be nominated to serve on the nation’s highest court. On Monday (March 21), Jackson was sworn in to the first day of Senate hearings, where she heard opening statements from 22 senators.
“I have been a judge for nearly a decade now, and I take that responsibility and my duty to be independent very seriously,” Jackson said at the time. “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.”
Here’s are five takeaways from Day 2 of the historic confirmation hearings
‘Settled Law’: Judge Jackson’s Take on Abortion Rights
On the second day of hearings,Supreme Court Nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson, was asked her thoughts on two key SCOTUS rulings that secured Americans’ right to abortions: Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey.
“I do agree with Justice (Brett) Kavanaugh and Justice (Amy Coney) Barrett on Roe and Casey are the settled law of the Supreme Court concerning the right to terminate a woman’s pregnancy,” Judge Jackson said.
She added later that the two cases “established a framework that the court has reaffirmed and in order to revisit, as Justice Barrett said, the Supreme Court looks at various factors because stare decisis is a very important principle.”
Lindsey Graham Sees ‘Red Flags’
Sen. Lindsey Graham told CNN he sees “reg flags” regarding Jackson’s confirmation after he said she previously defended detainees at Guantanamo Bay, which opened up a tense period of questioning.
“It just doesn’t make sense to me,” Graham –– the only Republican on the committee and the same who voted to confirm Judge Jackson to the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit just last year.
Graham cited friend-of-the-court brief Jackson filed while she was in private practice and said Jackson would’ve been “run out of town” if she had made the same arguments during World War II.
Judge Jackson responded, rebuking Graham’s claims and explaining, “It was not my argument,” and that she “was filing an amicus brief on behalf of my client.”
Critical Race Theory
Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas brought up Critical Race Theory during the hearings. CRT has been a newfound focal point for conservatives and Republicans to fear monger among their constituents such that white children don’t “feel bad” for the truth of America’s history.
Cruz referenced Nikole Hannah-Jones‘ award-winning 1619 Project by name during his remarks, to which Judge Jackson replied: “It doesn’t come up in my work as it’s never something that I have studied or relied on, and it wouldn’t be something that I would rely on if I was on the Supreme Court.”
Judge Jackson has ‘Nightmares’ from Child Sex Cases She’s Presided Over
Before confirmation hearsing began, Republicans have painted Judge Jackson as “soft” on sex offenders who’ve committed against children. Jackson responded on Tuesday, revealing she has “nightmares” from those cases.
“As a mother, these cases involving sex crimes against children are harrowing,” she said, adding that as a judge you have handle graphic evidence that “keep you up at night” because you’re “seeing the worst of humanity.”
“When there are victim statements that are presented when people talk about how their lives have been destroyed as children. How the people who they trusted take care of them were abusing them in this way and putting the pictures on the internet for everyone to see. I sometimes still have nightmares about the main witness. The woman I mentioned earlier who cannot leave her house because of this fear,” Jackson said.
Chuck Schumer Calls Out ‘Some’ Republicans
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said while some Republicans were “respectful” of Jackson, he told reporters that others have unfairly targeted her.
“When they can’t lay a glove on her, they come up with these outlandish accusations, which the American public just doesn’t buy,” Schumer said.
Hearings resume Wednesday (March 23). Click HERE to learn how to tune in with the Black Information Network.
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