Political Quotes

“Mr. President, later this week, perhaps in a day or two, the Senate will vote on the nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to serve as a member of the U.S. Supreme Court. Last week, I laid out my reasons for my opposition to this nomination, and yesterday, I voted against her nomination in the Judiciary Committee. But I want to make clear that my vote against Judge Jackson is not a rebuke of her legal knowledge, her experience, or her character. Judge Jackson is obviously very smart. She has vast practical experience, which I think is very useful. She is likeable. And she is very clearly passionate about her work. The Senate's constitutional duty to provide advice and consent, though, requires us to look beyond Judge Jackson's resume and personality to understand her judicial philosophy and the lens through which she views her role as a judge. Certainly, the Senate must evaluate whether Judge Jackson will act fairly and impartially. We have also got to make a judgment whether she will leave her personal beliefs and her policy preferences at the door and whether she will respect the bounds of her role as a judge or attempt to establish new judge-made law. This last point is absolutely critical, in my view. The Founders wisely established a system of checks and balances to ensure that no person or institution wields absolute power. The legislative branch, of course, makes law; the executive branch enforces the law; and the judicial branch interprets the law.…”