Pro-Abortion and Radical Leftist Groups are Behind Ketanji Brown Jackson’s Nomination

National   |   Micaiah Bilger   |   Mar 22, 2022   |   11:12AM   |   Washington, DC

Senate Republicans raised concerns Monday that leftist “dark money” groups and radical pro-abortion organizations are backing U.S. Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson.

The Senate Judiciary Committee began Jackson’s confirmation hearing Monday with opening statements from Republican and Democrat lawmakers. President Joe Biden chose Jackson, currently a justice on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, to replace retiring Justice Stephen Breyer.

Among Republican senators’ concerns was Jackson’s position on unborn babies’ right to life and abortion.

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, asked “why pro-abortion dark money groups like Demand Justice and anti-religious liberty groups are pouring millions of dollars into a public campaign” supporting Jackson’s confirmation, according to the Catholic News Agency. Demand Justice advocates for court packing and has ties to pro-abortion billionaire George Soros.

Jackson also has the support of NARAL Pro-Choice America, which advocates for abortions without limits up to birth.

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U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Arkansas, said a Supreme Court justice should uphold fundamental human rights, not bow to the pro-abortion lobby, CNA reports.

“I’m looking for a justice who will protect the right to life of innocent infants instead of caving to the abortion lobby, creating whole new swaths of law out of whole cloth,” Cotton said.

Pro-life advocates have reasons to be worried about Jackson’s abortion leanings. Her record includes working with abortion activists on a case about suppressing pro-life advocates’ free speech in Massachusetts.

She also ruled against the Trump administration’s efforts to defund the billion-dollar abortion chain Planned Parenthood, and she clerked for pro-abortion Justice Breyer when he issued an opinion against the partial-birth abortion ban.

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, raised questions about how Jackson would rule on abortion, given her connection to Breyer and the partial-birth abortion case, as well as free speech and religious liberty, the report continues.

“Will a justice protect the rights of the people, the rights of state legislatures to enact laws protecting innocent life, protecting unborn life, stopping abominations like partial-birth abortion, or will a justice view her job as a super legislator, striking down all such rights?” Cruz asked.

Several Republicans also reminded Americans of the vicious attacks that Democrat leaders lobbed against Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett during their confirmation hearings, and promised to treat Jackson with respect despite their concerns.

Here’s more from CNA:

Republicans also stressed conducting themselves without the “theatrics” that they said characterized the hearings of current Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett. …

“The most recent Supreme Court nominee was subjected to repeated accusations that were nothing more than unfiltered religious bigotry against her,” Republican Senator Ben Sasse of Nebraska said during his remarks. “The nominee before her was accused of serial rape.”

Meanwhile, a coalition of nearly 40 pro-life leaders, including LifeNews.com editor Steven Ertelt, sent a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee this week, outlining their concerns with Jackson’s record.

“She has been handpicked by a pro-abortion president to satisfy the pressure campaign from pro-abortion, progressive activists,” the pro-life leaders wrote. “These activists refuse to acknowledge the toll that Roe v. Wade has inflicted on our country. More than 62 million lives have been lost to abortion since the 1973 Roe decision.”

In 2001, Jackson co-authored an amicus brief supporting a Massachusetts law that created a floating “buffer zone” to prevent pro-life sidewalk counselors from approaching women outside of abortion facilities. Her clients included NARAL and the Abortion Access Project of Massachusetts.

Last week, U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Missouri, also raised concerns about Jackson’s “soft” record on criminals convicted of child pornography offenses.

Jackson’s confirmation hearing is scheduled to continue through Thursday in the U.S. Senate.

Biden promised that he would appoint a black female justice who supports the so-called “right” to abortion on demand, and pro-abortion groups have praised her nomination.