The average length of service for a United States Supreme Court justice is 16 years, but when you look at the modern court, it’s even longer. Justice Clarence Thomas and outgoing Justice Stephen Breyer have served for 30 years and 27 years respectively.
Over several decades justices can leave their mark on the court and on legal precedent, and even fundamentally transform our country. It’s critical we fully vet the nominees before us and truly examine the ideologies that guide their thinking.
Look no further than the current hearing before us. President Joe Biden’s nominee, Ketanji Brown Jackson, would make history as the first Black woman to serve on our highest court. And while I applaud her historical significance, I can’t overlook the partisan, far-left special interests pushing her confirmation.
You will surely hear about recent controversy over her comments refusing to define the term “woman” for Sen. Marsha Blackburn. But what concerns me goes far beyond her dodging relatively simple questions at a confirmation hearing.
Our Constitution is not a living document. The laws on the books are not meant to be changed from the bench, but that’s exactly the mindset Jackson has for this position.
Here’s what we know. Jackson has advocated against mandatory minimum sentences for child porn, questioned making convicted child predators register as sex offenders, and said some who collect child porn are not actually pedophiles.
She erred on the side of reducing sentences instead of defending victims. Jackson has also blocked enforcement of immigration law and efforts to secure the border. I have grave concerns about how her views on the bench can impact the rule of law, public safety and victims of crime.
And when it comes to critical race theory, Jackson is a firm believer. She served on a board for a private high school and touted the “the transformative power of a rigorous progressive education that is dedicated to fostering critical thinking, independence, and social justice.”
Taking all that together, as a law-abiding citizen and an attorney running for Iowa attorney general, I have grave concerns about the ideologies and legal actions taken by Jackson. She could serve on this court for 30 years, ruling on hundreds of cases in that time.
That’s the potentially historic tenure we should be looking at. That’s what the U.S. Senate should be focused on. I know Sens. Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst will take their role in this process very seriously, but I am encouraging the citizens of Iowa to look into Jackson’s record and come to the realization of what we are facing with the upcoming confirmation vote.
Brenna Bird is the Republican candidate for Iowa attorney general.
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