Republican Texas Sen. John Cornyn criticized Democrats for suggesting that Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett might violate her oath before she even took it.
Cornyn argued during Tuesday’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearing that such attacks on Barrett’s independence were “maybe almost as pernicious as attacking someone for their faith and suggesting that that disqualifies them from holding a public office.” (RELATED: Cory Booker Leaked Confidential Kavanaugh Docs. John Cornyn Isn’t Having It)
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“Judge, the best I can understand the objections to your nomination are not to your qualifications, your experience or training, but it is that you have — or you will — violate your oath of office,” Cornyn began. “I find that terribly insulting. They suggest that you cannot be unbiased in deciding a case you have not even participated in yet. I find that insulting as well.”
“Now, maybe almost as pernicious as attacking someone for their faith and suggesting that that disqualifies them from holding a public office is the attack on independence, something Chief Justice Rehnquist, among others, observed as the crown jewels of the American Constitution and the American system,” Cornyn continued.
He went on to argue that many previous predictions with regard to how judges might rule had been “spectacularly wrong.”
Laying out examples ranging from former President Theodore Roosevelt to the present, Cornyn concluded with President Donald Trump’s first Supreme Court appointment.
“I think about the attacks on Neil Gorsuch for his unwillingness to make a prior commitment on LGBT issues. He wrote the Bostock case extending title VII of the Civil Rights Act for gay and transgender individuals. Obviously, those predictions were wrong,” Cornyn said. “Then, since we are talking about the ACA, the ACA versus ACB, I guess, Chief Justice Roberts was the one who wrote the opinion upholding the Affordable Care Act, as you know.”
Cornyn’s overall assessment was that those predictions amounted to “pure speculation,” adding that he also considered them to be “propaganda in order to make a political point.” (RELATED: Joy Behar Says ‘Male, White Panic’ Is Driving Republicans To Confirm Amy Coney Barrett)
“So, Judge, you are not willing to make a deal,” Cornyn said, turning to Barrett.
“No, Senator Cornyn, I am not willing to make a deal, not with the president, not with anyone — I am independent,” Barrett replied.