Senators Cruz, Cornyn Repeated Their Concerns In Questioning Supreme Court Nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson
WASHINGTON (CBSDFW.COM) - For a second day, Texas' two U.S. Senators, John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, pressed Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson about her judicial and legal records during her Supreme Court confirmation hearing.
Cruz and the Democratic Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Dick Durbin of Illinois, took part in heated exchanges toward the end of the Senator's time for questioning.
The Senator said, "Chairman Durbin, I've never seen the Chairman refuse to allow the witness to answer a question."
After Senator Durbin banged the gavel, Cruz scoffed, "You can bang it as loud as you want."
Durbin responded, "I can just tell you, you have to follow the rules."
Durbin didn't grant Cruz more time after he repeatedly asked Judge Jackson about the sentences, she imposed against those convicted of child pornography.
Cruz asked the Judge, "You had people with vile crimes, and you had language saying you had vile crimes, then you sentenced them to very, very low sentences. Why did you consistently 100% of the time choose to do that?"
Judge Jackson said, "Senator, no one case can stand in for a judge's entire sentencing record. I've sentenced more than 100 people. You have eight or nine cases in that chart."
Democratic Senators said Judge Jackson's sentences overall were very similar to other federal judges.
Senator John Cornyn brought-up a concern he asked the Judge about during the first day of questioning Tuesday.
It concerned the 2005 court document in which Jackson, then a public defender representing Khiali-Gul, detained at Guantanamo Bay for being involved in the September 11 terror attack, accused former President George W. Bush and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld of "conspiring to bring about the torture and other inhumane treatment of Petitioner Khiali-Gul constitute war crimes and/or crimes against humanity."
Senator Cornyn criticized Senator Durbin Wednesday for disputing his assertion one day earlier. "I asked her whether she called him a war criminal and she said under oath to you, 'no, I did not.' Although the record is as plain as it can be. She accused him of war crimes. Now, I don't understand the difference between calling someone a war criminal and accusing them of war crimes."
Cornyn then asked Judge Jackson about the issue in a different way. "If you accuse someone of a crime, are you accusing them of being a criminal?"
Judge Jackson said, "It depends on the context. it depends on what else you say about them. it depends on the circumstances."
Cornyn responded, "I just don't think that's credible, Judge."
Follow Jack on Twitter & Facebook: @cbs11jack
