Sen. Booker Praises Ketanji Brown Jackson As Inspirational—And Blasts ‘Shocking’ GOP Criticism

Topline

In an emotional speech Wednesday, Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) called Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson an inspiration to American minority groups in the tradition of abolitionist Harriet Tubman, praising the “grit and grace” with which Jackson has endured “shocking” Republican-led criticism of her sentencing record as a trial court judge.

Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson wipes away tears while listening to Sen. Cory … [+] Booker speak during her Senate confirmation hearings. (D-N.J.)

Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Key Facts

Jackson grew tearful as Booker described the challenges and indignities faced by minority groups, and placed Jackson in a tradition of leaders who helped improve the United States despite not receiving fair treatment there.

Enthusiastically describing his “joy” at Jackson’s nomination, Booker said that, while jogging earlier that day, he was “practically tackled” by an African American woman who enthusiastically told Booker that Jackson’s nomination meant a lot to her.

Booker expressed disappointment at Jackson’s rough treatment by other Judiciary Committee members—such as Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), who accused Jackson of sentencing child pornography offenders too leniently, and Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), who interrogated Jackson on her record defending Guantanamo Bay detainees—an ordeal Booker said Jackson had handled gracefully.

Booker also accused Hawley of cherry-picking from among the over 1,000 cases Jackson had handled in an attempt to portray her as overly lenient, and suggested that this might set a bad precedent by discouraging judges from sentencing below recommended guidelines for fear they would be similarly publicly criticized.

Key Background

If confirmed, Jackson would be the first Black woman on the Supreme Court, filling the spot left by Justice Stephen Breyer, who announced his retirement in January. Jackson currently serves on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, and previously worked as a federal district court judge. Booker characterized Jackson as a figure with bipartisan appeal, pointing out that she won an endorsement from the Fraternal Order of Police, and noting that the conservative National Review, while not endorsing her, repudiated Hawley’s claims that she was unusually lenient in sentencing child pornography offenders. This is supported by a March 17 study by Pew Research Center which found more Americans supported Jackson’s confirmation than opposed it: Pew’s poll found 54% of Republicans and 61% of Democrats saw Jackson as about as qualified as other recent Supreme Court nominees, indicating that accusations by Republicans that the left-leaning Jackson is soft on crime have had limited impact on public opinion. However, it’s unclear whether any Senate Republicans will vote to confirm Jackson.

Tangent

Booker compared Jackson to former New York state Sen. Constance Baker Motley—with whom Jackson shares a birthday—who was accused by critics of being a Communist after she was nominated to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. Booker compared these unmerited accusations to the criticisms Jackson received during Wednesday’s hearing.

Crucial Quote

“Today, you’re my star,” Booker told Jackson. “You are my harbinger of hope. This country is getting better and better and better, and when that final vote happens and you ascend onto the highest court in the land, I’m going to rejoice.”