Judge Ketanji Brown cites Barrett and Scalia in response to GOP questioning

Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson is in the final phase of her confirmation process, as she responds to written questions from senators.

Judge Jackson has penned over 350 pages of written responses to questions from members of the Senate Judiciary Committee. In response to certain questions from Republican senators, Jackson quoted GOP judicial favorites, such as Justice Amy Coney Barrett, who was appointed by former president Donald Trump and has served since 2020. 

Asked by Republican Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) when constitutional rights begin to apply to an unborn fetus, Jackson cited Barrett, answering, “I will apply the law fully and faithfully. I will not impose my religious convictions or personal beliefs on anyone.”

Jackson also invoked the late Justice Antonin Scalia, who passed away in 2016. Senator Chuck Grassley asked Jackson about her language in a case when she was a District Court Judge, saying “Presidents are not kings.”

Jackson referred to Scalia, writing, “Clear writing is key to a transparent judiciary and public confidence in courts. I therefore have at times used imagery, allegories, or metaphors to explain complicated legal arguments,” she wrote. “This is consistent with the practices of many other judges and justices, including Justice Antonin Scalia.”