Day 2 of the confirmation hearing of , the federal judge President Biden nominated to fill the seat of , will likely last past 9 p.m. EDT.
The nature of Tuesday's hearing is vastly different than what Jackson , when 22 senators gave their opening statements before she .
Here are some highlights from Tuesday's hearing.
Jackson answered a question on Republicans' minds about whether the , as liberal groups have called for. Jackson said her stance on court expansion matches that of Amy Coney Barrett, a nominee of former President Trump. "In my view, judges should not be speaking to political issues and certainly not a nominee for a position on the Supreme Court," Jackson said.
Sen. Dick Durbin fact checked Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas after Cornyn asked Jackson why she called former President George W. Bush and former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld "war criminals." Jackson said she didn't remember using the term. Over a lunch break, Durbin and later told the hearing Jackson never made those remarks.
Sen. Ted Cruz attempted to link Jackson's career with, despite her repeated statements that the academic approach (used predominantly in law schools) "doesn't come up in my work as a judge." Cruz alleged Georgetown Day School, where Jackson serves on the board of trustees, is "overflowing" with the theory and . Jackson told the Texas Republican that the board doesn't control curricula.
Jackson defended herself against claims she is soft on sentencing child pornography defendants. She said she takes these crimes extremely seriously as a judge and as a mother and called on Congress to change laws on sex abuse materials to stay current in the digital era. Republican Sens. Josh Hawley and Ted Cruz, among others, have for those convicted of possessing and distributing child pornography. "Congress tells judges what we're supposed to do when we sentence and what I'd say is that Congress has to determine how it wishes for judges to handle these cases," Jackson said.
She also defended her record as a , noting that public defenders "don't get to pick their clients." Jackson added "we're entitled to be treated fairly. That's what makes our system the best in the world. That's what makes us exemplary."
Overall, Jackson is following the playbook of past nominees in being circumspect in her statements about her judicial philosophy. If the name of the game is getting confirmed,. And the nature of the partisan state of affairs means that the senators asking questions aren't always focused on the nominee either. Senators on both sides of the aisle used part of their questioning time to bemoan the role of in the nominating process.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. 9(MDA3MzEzNjc2MDEzMDI2Mzc4OTc4NTFmNg001))
