Republican Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell criticized President Joe Biden and his judicial nominee on Tuesday after Biden’s nominee failed to answer basic questions about the Constitution during a recent hearing.
Biden nominated Spokane County Superior Court Judge Charnel Bjelkengren to be U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Washington. During Bjelkengren’s hearing, Republican Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy asked her “what article V of the Constitution does?” Bjelkengren said it was “not coming to mind at the moment.” Bjelkengren could not provide information on Article II either.
EMBARRASSING: Biden judicial nominee can’t answer basic questions about the constitution.
“Judge, tell me what Article V of the Constitution does?” pic.twitter.com/JvnecJJJgA
— The First (@TheFirstonTV) January 26, 2023
“Goodness gracious,” McConnell said in remarks Tuesday, comparing Bjelkengren’s qualifications to that of Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett. (RELATED: ‘Afraid To Give Me An Answer?’: John Kennedy Presses Three Biden Judicial Nominees To Answer A Single Question)
McConnell then brought up Kennedy’s initial question.
“‘Article V is not coming to mind at the moment’ was the response. Sen. Kennedy came back with another even more basic request, ‘How about Article II?’ … But this sitting judge drew another blank. Article II wasn’t coming to mind either,” McConnell said.
“Then she flunked still another question about legal philosophy and then again she flunked still another question about the most controversial Supreme Court case this term,” McConnell said. “Apparently, when this particular nominee had been asked to list the top 10 most impactful cases she had litigated in court, she could only come up with six.”
“At no stage of her professional career has this judge focused on federal law. At no point has she ever even appeared in federal court,” he added.
“Is this the caliber of legal expert with which President Biden is filling the federal bench?” McConnell asked. “For lifetime appointments? Is the bar for merit and excellence really set this low?”