Source: United States Senator for California – Dianne Feinstein
Washington—Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today delivered the following remarks at the Senate Judiciary Committee Markup of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court.
High-resolution video of the exchange is available here and a transcript follows:
“I’m very pleased that the committee is moving forward with our consideration of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson and I want to tell you why.
I find that she’s an exceptional nominee with impeccable credentials. She has broad and relevant experience. And a clear record of well-reasoned legal decisions from her nine years on the federal bench.
Now, where do I get this? She has been before us three times already, receiving bipartisan support to serve first on the Sentencing Commission in 2010, as a federal district court judge in 2013 and as a federal appellate court judge in 2021. She has been tested.
And based on her record and the testimony, I believe she is again deserving of full support.
She is precisely the type of nominee that senators on both sides of the aisle should want on the Supreme Court.
First, she applies a clear and fair method in deciding her cases, and has demonstrated a remarkable judicial temperament.
She faithfully applies the law in each case. In her eight years as a federal district judge, she had the very low reversal rate of only 2 percent, which is well below the national average.
And it is especially impressive because she served on the D.C. District Court, which hears very challenging issues – many of which end up at the Supreme Court.
During the hearings, we heard testimony from retired Judge Thomas Griffith, who was appointed to the D.C. Circuit by President George W. Bush. Judge Griffith told us that Judge Jackson, and I quote his words, ‘will adjudicate based on the facts and the law and not as a partisan.’
He testified that he had ‘always respected her careful approach, extraordinary judicial understanding, and collegial manner.’
We heard similar comments from representatives of the American Bar Association, judges, attorneys who have worked with Judge Jackson over the course of her career.
They testified that Judge Jackson is universally and highly regarded for her intellect, her integrity, her judgment and her writing and analytical skills.
Both prosecutors and defense attorneys have praised Judge Jackson as ‘thorough,’ ‘hard working’ and ‘extremely well-prepared.’
Judge Jackson is widely respected, and it’s clear to me that her colleagues on the bench and the lawyers who argued before her have no doubt that she would make a fine addition to the Supreme Court.
So I have no doubt either. It’s clear to me that Judge Jackson believes it’s the role of a judge to serve as an impartial decision-maker.
As a judge, she considers the facts and the law for each particular case that comes before her to arrive at an outcome that is fair and [just] under the law.
I’m very proud to support her nomination.”
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