Republicans are intensifying their attacks on Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson after weeks of publicly reserving judgment on President Biden’s Supreme Court nominee, ahead of historic hearings on the first Black woman to be put forward as a justice, reports The New York Times.
Republican leaders, wary of engaging in a potentially racially charged spectacle that
could prompt a political backlash, have promised a more dignified review of the
latest Supreme Court candidate, after a series of bitter clashes over the
court. But in recent days, with the approach of the Senate Judiciary
Committee’s hearings on her nomination that begin on Monday, their tone has
shifted.
Last week, Senator Josh Hawley, a Missouri
Republican who sits on the panel and will question Judge Jackson, claimed his
review of her judicial record had determined that she had been lenient in sentencing
some sex offenders and those convicted of possessing child pornography. He also
suggested that, as a member of the United States Sentencing Commission, she
worked to reduce penalties for those caught with child pornography. A detailed
background paper prepared for the Judiciary Committee made a similar case.
At the same time, Senator Mitch McConnell,
Republican of Kentucky and the minority leader, has doubled down on his
suggestion that Judge Jackson’s experience as a public defender could influence
her view of the law and lead her to favor criminal defendants.
“Her
supporters look at her résumé and deduce a special empathy for criminals,” Mr.
McConnell said in a lengthy floor speech in which he argued that her work on
behalf of the accused was a blot on her record. “I guess that means that
government prosecutors and innocent crime victims start each trial at a
disadvantage.”
The increasingly hostile critiques of Judge Jackson
suggest that her confirmation hearings might not be the sober, drama-free
proceeding that many had anticipated when she was nominated to replace Justice
Stephen G. Breyer, who has announced he will retire at the end of the court’s
current term this summer.
Her confirmation would not change the ideological
composition of the court, which is tilted 6-3 toward conservatives. And Judge
Jackson has previously been confirmed three times by the Senate for two
judgeships and a spot on the sentencing commission. Nothing surfaced on those
occasions to impede her approval. Republicans concede she has the legal
experience and educational qualifications for the lifetime position.
Mr. Hawley, who is regarded as a potential
Republican presidential contender and has not voted for a single Biden
administration judicial nominee, was never considered a likely supporter of
Judge Jackson. Still, his detailed takedown of her record on sex crimes has
generated concern among Democrats, who worry it could deter some Republicans
who are considering supporting her, or even rattle some senators in their own
party, all of whom will likely be needed to win confirmation.
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