VIDEO: Cornyn Defends Federal Judges as AG Garland Refuses to Condemn Liberal Attacks
CORNYN: Federal judges have had a hard time defending themselves against attacks… This has led to political protests at the Justices' homes and even a threatened assassination of a member of the Supreme Court of the United States.
General Garland, you are the chief law enforcement officer of the United States. Will you condemn it?
GARLAND: I am against divisive rhetoric of all kinds, but I do not have authority in this matter.
WASHINGTON – Today in the Senate Judiciary Committee, U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) called on U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland to condemn the recent attacks on federal judges, including Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. Excerpts are below, and video can be found here.
CORNYN: “Historically, federal judges have had a hard time defending themselves against attacks of various kinds.”
“This is happening in the press. It’s happening on social media.”
“This has led to political protests at the Justices’ homes and even a threatened assassination of a member of the Supreme Court of the United States.”
“Unfortunately, it’s not just limited to the outside, partisan rabble rousers. It includes speeches made by United States Senators on the floor of the Senate.”
“This is a speech by a United States Senator trying to discredit a judge – who happens to be in Texas, Matthew Kacsmaryk, that Senator Cruz and I recommended, and who was appointed, and now serves it with lifetime tenure as a federal judge – calling him a lifelong right-wing activist, a partisan ideologue, an anti-abortion zealot.”
“I find this sort of rhetoric, particularly by a United States Senator, to be appalling.”
“I wonder if you will join me in condemning that sort of attack on the independence of the federal judiciary.”
GARLAND: “When I first got on the judiciary, I and several of my colleagues pounded our heads against the wall trying to get the reporters to stop – and this was more than 25 years ago – to stop reporting the name of the President who appointed us and or the party. Unfortunately, this is a battle that hasn’t been won, and I don’t think, obviously, given the authority of the First Amendment, its importance is one that we’re not going to be able to win. I come from a kinder and gentler era, and a kinder and gentler court, even in terms of the way the members of the court treat themselves.”
CORNYN: “General Garland, you are the chief law enforcement officer of the United States. Will you condemn it?”
GARLAND: “I am against divisive rhetoric of all kinds, but I do not have authority in this matter.”