Write For Us

WATCH: Jackson's background is not a liability, but an asset to the Supreme Court, Sen. Leahy says

Sponsored Post Vitamin D2 Canada Persia
51 Views

  • Thanks! Share it with your friends!

    You disliked this video. Thanks for the feedback!

ava
Published
Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., defended Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson's background as a public defender during opening statements for her confirmation hearings on March 21, which has been used by some Republicans to suggest she is soft on crime.

"Let's make a few things clear. Judge Jackson is ... not a puppet of the so-called 'radical left.' She's been praised by Republican appointed judges ... lawyers from the right and the left who appeared before her in court have called a judicious and evenhanded," he said.

Her work as a public defender and her family ties to law enforcement, among other experience, make her "not a liability to the court" but a "much needed asset to the court," he said.

"Every American must believe that the court is going to be impartial. They must believe that our courts and not a mere political arm of the executive or the Congress. But faithful only to the rule of law," he said. The stakes for democracy "are simply too high," he added.

Jackson was nominated by President Joe Biden in February to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer. If confirmed, she will be the first Black woman on the high court.

Stream your PBS favorites with the PBS app: https://to.pbs.org/2Jb8twG
Find more from PBS NewsHour at https://www.pbs.org/newshour
Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/2HfsCD6

Follow us:
Facebook: http://www.pbs.org/newshour
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/newshour
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/newshour

Subscribe:
PBS NewsHour podcasts: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/podcasts
Newsletters: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/subscribe
Category
U.S. & Canada
Tags
Ketanji Brown Jackson, hearing, confirmation
Sign in or sign up to post comments.
Be the first to comment