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Senate Judiciary vote on Ketanji Brown Jackson expected April 4

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Testimony for Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson has concluded. The Senate Judiciary Committee will meet March 28, likely setting up an April 4 committee vote to advance her nomination as an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court to the Senate Floor. 

Brown Jackson testified before the committee for two days. The questions were at times contentious, leading Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Dick Durbin (D-IL) to chastise some of his fellow committee members. 

“My colleagues promised a fair and respectful hearing,” Durbin told Brown Jackson. “Most, including my Republican colleagues, Senator Grassley, followed that admonition. He always does. But there were a few obvious, glaring exceptions. I’m sorry for that.”

“The jackassery we often see around here is partly because of people mugging for short-term camera opportunities,” Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE) said in a loosely veiled dig at some of his colleagues.

Brown Jackson faced hard questions from senators about much of her background, including when she served as a defense attorney for detainees at Guantanamo Bay. 

“Look at the frigging Afghan government! It’s made up of former detainees,” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said. “I hope they all die in jail if they’re going to go back and kill Americans.”

Senators also addressed Brown Jackson’s time on the bench sentencing child pornography cases.

“Why isn’t it rational to sentence people who have thousands of images on a computer to more time, as opposed to somebody who has one or two pictures in the mail,” Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) asked.

But it was a member of the party that nominated her that caused her to cry. 

“I look at you, this is why I get emotional. I’m sorry. You’re a person who is so much more than your race and gender,” Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) said. “But for me, I’m sorry, I, I, it’s hard for me not to look at you and not see my mom, not to see my cousins, one of them who had to come here and sit behind you. She had to be, she had to have your back.” 

“I see my ancestors and yours. Nobody is going to steal the joy of that woman in the street, or the calls that I’m getting or the texts. Nobody is going to steal that joy. You have earned this spot. You are worthy,” Booker said. “You are a great American.”

Annie Andersen: THE HARDEST PART OF KETANJI BROWN JACKSON’S HEARINGS ARE OVER – .

TAKE SOT- Sen. DICK DURBIN (D-IL)

<<your patience, dignity and grace and in the face of what was frankly some offensive treatment is a real testament to your judicial temperament.”>> 

Annie Andersen:

IT’S BEEN TWO FULL DAYS OF HARD QUESTIONING… 

AND EVEN SOME TEARS. 

TAKE SOT-  Sen. TED CRUZ (R-TX)

<<””I’m an Hispanic man. Could I decide I was an Asian man/and challenge Harvard’s discrimination because I made that decision?”

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson: ‘Senator, I’m not able to answer your question, you’re asking me about hypotheticals’”>>

Annie Andersen: REPUBLICANS ALSO FOUND FAULT WITH JACKSON’S WORK AS A PUBLIC DEFENDER REPRESENTING GUANTANAMO BAY DETAINEES

TAKE SOT- SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC)

<<“Look at the frigging Afghan government! It’s made up of former detainees,/ “I hope they all die in jail if they will kill Americans.”>>

Annie Andersen: SOME ON THE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE- ESPECIALLY THOSE RUMORED TO BE 2024 CONTENDERS-

FOCUSED ON HER WORK ON THE BENCH DURING CHILD PORN CASES- SAYING SHE WAS TOO LENIENT ON DEFENDANTS.

TAKE SOT-Sen. Josh HAWLEY (R-MO)

<<”Why isn’t it rational to sentence people who have 1000s of images on a computer to more time, as opposed to somebody who has one or two pictures in the mail?”>>

Annie Andersen: BUT IT WAS A COMMENT FROM SOMEBODY IN HER OWN PARTY THAT BROUGHT  JACKSON TO TEARS. 

TAKE SOT- Sen. CORY BOOKER (D-NJ)

<<”You’re you’re a person that is so much more than your race and gender/but for me I’m sorry, It’s hard for me not to look at you and not see my mom, not to see my my cousin’s one of them who had to come here and sit behind you. She had to- she had to have your back. I see my ancestors and years. Nobody’s gonna steal the joy of that woman in the street, or the calls that I’m getting or the texts. Nobody’s gonna steal that joy. You have earned this spot. You are worthy. You are a great American..”>>

Annie Andersen: SO WHAT’S NEXT…

THE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE WILL MEET ON MONDAY, LIKELY SETTING UP AN APRIL 4 VOTE TO ADVANCE HER NOMINATION TO THE SENATE FLOOR. 

REPUBLICANS CAN TRY TO STALL THE COMMITTEE VOTE, 

BUT THE RANKING MEMBER OF THE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE HAS SAID, HE DOESN’T PLAN TO DO THAT. 

ONE THING TO NOTE.. HER CONFIRMATION WILL ONLY TAKE 51 VOTES, 

SO DEMOCRATS JUST NEED TO MAKE SURE THEY AGREE-

 AND THAT THEY ARE ALL THERE FOR THE VOTE. 

STRAIGHT FROM DC I’M AA