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The Third Day of Confirmation Hearings Reveals Two Troubling Reasons GOP Senators Oppose Judge Jackson

NNPA NEWSWIRE — In questioning Judge Jackson, South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham continued the theme of his GOP colleagues, claiming the jurist is weak on crime—specifically regarding defendants charged in child pornography cases. Repeatedly interrupting Judge Jackson’s responses and egregiously misstating her position, Sen. Graham suggested the judge didn’t consider computer usage a sentencing enhancement.

Published

4 years ago

March 28, 2022

Oakland Post

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

The constant badgering and apparent lack of respect toward Supreme Court Justice nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson during 13 hours of testimony on Tuesday and throughout Wednesday only revealed two essential reasons why Republican senators oppose the D.C. jurist.

First, she’s the pick of President Joe Biden, a Democrat.

Second, and more troubling, Judge Jackson is a Black woman.

“Many Republican members of the Senate Judiciary Committee are wasting no time embracing the kind of bad-faith scrutiny often reserved for women and Black nominees – beneficiaries of affirmative action, in one GOP senator’s parlance,” Political Analyst Brandon Tensley wrote in an analysis for CNN.

“Some Republicans, lacking a coherent strategy, are pressing Jackson for her views on The 1619 Project and the children’s book ‘Antiracist Baby’ – because of ‘critical race theory,’ though neither has anything to do with the job she’s being considered for,” Tensley determined.

“Others are trying with great effort to cast the nominee as weak on crime by distorting her past work defending Guantanamo Bay detainees and her sentencing in child pornography cases.”

If confirmed, Judge Jackson would emerge as the first Black woman to sit on the U.S. Supreme Court.

In questioning Judge Jackson, South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham continued the theme of his GOP colleagues, claiming the jurist is weak on crime—specifically regarding defendants charged in child pornography cases.

Repeatedly interrupting Judge Jackson’s responses and egregiously misstating her position, Sen. Graham suggested the judge didn’t consider computer usage a sentencing enhancement.

Her face displaying disbelief in the senator’s behavior, Judge Jackson remarked that she not only sends offenders to prison but orders lengthy periods of supervision following their release.

“Senator, all I’m trying to explain is that our sentencing system, the system that Congress has created, the system that the sentencing commission is the steward of, is a rational one,” Judge Jackson stated.

“It’s a system designed to help judges do justice in these terrible circumstances by eliminating unwarranted disparities and ensuring that the most serious defendants get the longest periods of time in prison.

“What we are trying to do is be rational in dealing with some of the most horrible kinds of behavior.”

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell claimed Judge Jackson was evasive in a floor speech.

“Judge Jackson is receiving a calm, respectful process, unlike the treatment that Senate Democrats typically inflict on Republican presidents’ nominees,” McConnell decided.

“But unfortunately, thus far, many of Judge Jackson’s responses have been evasive and unclear. She’s declined to address critically important questions and ameliorate real concerns.”

However, Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York praised Judge Jackson.

“At times, the judge also displayed one of her greatest traits: her grace and poise, even when Republicans asked intentionally misleading questions,” Schumer remarked on the Senate floor. “Republicans tried to land a blow, but Judge Jackson kept her cool.”

When Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) attempted to get Judge Jackson’s position on Roe v. Wade, the jurist noted that the Supreme Court is currently considering efforts to overturn that law, making it inappropriate for her to comment.

Sen. Cornyn pressed, asking, “What does viability mean when it comes to an unborn child in your understanding?”

The Judge responded:

“I hesitate to speculate. I know that it is a point in time that the court has identified in terms of when – the standards that apply to regulation of the right,” Judge Jackson responded.

Cornyn shot back:

“No one suggests that a 20-week-old fetus can live independently outside the mother’s womb, do they?” Cornyn asked.

To which she responded:

“Senator, I’m not a biologist,” she replied.

“What I know is that the Supreme Court has tests and standards that it’s applied when it evaluates regulation of the right of a woman to terminate their pregnancy.

“The court has announced that there is a right to terminate, up to the point of viability, subject to the framework of Roe, and there is a pending case that is addressing these issues.”

Another Republican, Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, suggested Judge Jackson was too compassionate for the Supreme Court.

“It seems as though you’re a very kind person, and there’s at least a level of empathy that enters into your treatment of a defendant that some could view as may be beyond what some of us would be comfortable with, with respect to administering justice,” Sen. Tillis said, piggybacking off colleagues like Sen. Graham who called the judge a “nice person.”

Judge Jackson disputed Sen. Tillis’ assessment.

“I follow the statute that applies to judges that Congress has set forward, including the nature and circumstances of the offense, the history of the character and characteristics of the defendant,” Judge Jackson stated.

When belligerent Texas Republican Ted Cruz attacked Judge Jackson and demanded that, if confirmed, she recuses herself from an affirmative action case involving Harvard University, the judge said she planned to sit out that decision.

Judge Jackson sits on Harvard’s Board of Overseers.

Sen. Cruz defiantly ignored Judiciary Committee Chair Dick Durbin’s (D-Illinois) repeated admonition to allow Judge Jackson to answer his questions and that his time expired.

Sen. Cruz asked Judge Jackson to define a woman, shouting that she’s the only nominee not able to answer that question.

“I know that I’m a woman,” Judge Jackson retorted.

Democrats hope to keep their caucus together in voting for Judge Jackson’s confirmation. In the absence of any GOP support, Democrats need all 50 senators to confirm Judge Jackson, elevating her as the first Black woman to sit on the U.S. Supreme Court.

The post The Third Day of Confirmation Hearings Reveals Two Troubling Reasons GOP Senators Oppose Judge Jackson first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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LIVE from the NMA Convention Raheem DeVaughn Says The Time Is Now: Let’s End HIV in Our Communities #2

Set against the backdrop of the NMA conference, Executive Officers from the National Medical Association, Grammy Award Winning Artist and Advocate Raheem DeVaughn, and Gilead Sciences experts, are holding today an important conversation on HIV prevention and health equity. Black women continue to be disproportionately impacted by HIV despite advances in prevention options. Today’s event […]

Published

3 days ago

February 3, 2026

Oakland Post

Black women continue to be disproportionately impacted by HIV despite advances in prevention options. Today’s event is designed to uplift voices, explore barriers to access, and increase awareness and key updates about PrEP, a proven prevention method that remains underutilized among Black women. This timely gathering will feature voices from across health, media, and advocacy as we break stigma and center equity in HIV prevention.

Additional stats and information to know:

● Black women continue to be disproportionately affected by HIV, with Black women representing more than 50% of new HIV diagnoses among women in the U.S. in 2022, despite comprising just 13% of women in the U.S.

● Women made up only 8% of PrEP users despite representing 19% of all new HIV diagnoses in 2022.

● Gilead Sciences is increasing awareness and addressing stigma by encouraging regular HIV testing and having judgment-free conversations with your healthcare provider about prevention options, including oral PrEP and long-acting injectable PrEP options.

● PrEP is an HIV prevention medication that has been available since 2012.

● Only 1 in 3 people in the U.S. who could benefit from PrEP were prescribed a form of PrEP in 2022.

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TRUMP: “Washington, D.C. is Safe”

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — President Trump, who typically travels with a full contingent of high-level protection, insinuated that he finally felt safe enough to go to dinner in the District of Columbia. “My wife and I went out to dinner last night for the first time in four years,” said the nation’s 47th president.

Published

3 days ago

February 3, 2026

Oakland Post

By Apriil Ryan
BlackPressUSA Washington Bureau Chief and White House Correspondent

“Washington, D.C. is safe,” President Trump declared from the Oval Office today. Those words came while Trump was hosting Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. During the question-and-answer session, which primarily focused on a peace deal in the Russian-Ukrainian war, Trump explained, “You did that in four days.” He was speaking of how fast the National Guard quelled the violence in what was once called Chocolate City.

The President deployed the National Guard to D.C. a week ago, to a city with reduced crime rates over the previous year. Violent crime dropped by 26%, marking the lowest level in 30 years. Homicides also fell by 11%.

President Trump, who typically travels with a full contingent of high-level protection, insinuated that he finally felt safe enough to go to dinner in the District of Columbia. “My wife and I went out to dinner last night for the first time in four years,” said the nation’s 47th president.

Trump reinforced his claim about the newly acquired safety in D.C. by relaying that a friend’s son is attending dinner in D.C., something he would not have done last year.

After the president finished his comments, a reporter/commentator in the room with close connections to Marjorie Taylor Greene jumped into the high-level conversation to affirm the president’s comments, saying, “I walked around yesterday with MTG. If you can walk around D.C. with MTG and not be attacked, this city is safe.”

That reporter was the same person who chastised President Zelenskyy months ago during his first Oval Office meeting with Trump for not wearing a business suit. Zelenskyy, a wartime President, has been clad in less formal attire to reflect the country’s current war stance against Russia.

Without any sourcing, President Trump also said, “People that haven’t gone out to dinner in Washington, D.C., in two years are going out to dinner, and the restaurants the last two days have been busier than they’ve been in a long time.”

The increase in policing in Washington, D.C. is because a 19-year-old former Doge employee was carjacked in the early hours of the morning recently.

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Rising Energy Costs Weigh Heaviest on Black Households

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — For many African American families, the cost of keeping the lights on and homes heated or cooled is not just a monthly bill — it’s a crushing financial burden.

Published

3 days ago

February 3, 2026

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent

For many African American families, the cost of keeping the lights on and homes heated or cooled is not just a monthly bill — it’s a crushing financial burden.

A new national study from Binghamton University and California State University, San Bernardino, finds that Black households spend a far larger share of their income on energy compared to white households, even when income levels are the same. “We often say that African Americans suffer more, but we often blame it just on income. And the reality is, there is something more there,” study author George Homsy, associate professor at Binghamton University, wrote. “It’s not just because they tend to be poor. There is something that’s putting them at a disadvantage. I think what happened is it happens to be where they live.” The study, published in Energy Research & Social Science, analyzed 65,000 census tracts across the United States. It found that while the average American household spends about 3.2% of income on energy bills, households in the majority African American census tracts spend an average of 5.1%.

Homsy and researcher Ki Eun Kang point to the age and condition of housing stock, along with lower homeownership rates, as key drivers. Their research concludes that “energy burden is not simply a matter of income or energy cost but also race, which might be driven by place.” Older, less energy-efficient housing and high rental rates in Black communities mean residents often cannot make upgrades like improved insulation or new appliances, locking families into higher bills.

Tradeoffs and Health Risks

The consequences go beyond money. Families forced to spend 10% or more of their income on energy — what experts classify as “unmanageable” — may cut back on food, medicine, or other essentials. More than 12 million U.S. households report leaving their homes at unsafe temperatures to reduce costs, while millions more fall behind on utility bills. The health effects are severe. High energy burdens increase risks of asthma, depression, poor sleep, pneumonia, and even premature death. The issue is especially acute for African Americans, who are disproportionately exposed to housing and environmental conditions that amplify these risks.

Washington, D.C.: A Case Study

In Washington, D.C., the problem is particularly stark. A recent analysis by the Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN) shows that SNAP-eligible households spend more than 20% of their income on energy bills. Across the metro area, nearly two-thirds of low-income households devote over 6% of their income to energy, and 40% face what researchers call a “severe financial strain,” paying more than 10%. Pepco, the District’s primary electricity provider, has implemented three consecutive annual rate hikes, pushing the average household bill to $114 per month as of January 2025. Shutoffs have followed — nearly 12,000 customers lost service in 2024, with disconnections doubling after a summer rate hike. Washington Gas has also sought a 12% rate increase and pushed a controversial $215 million pipeline replacement project, rebranded as “District SAFE.” The plan could ultimately cost D.C. households an additional $45,000 each over several decades, or nearly $1,000 annually added to bills.

Historical Roots

Researchers argue that these inequities are not accidental but rooted in history. The ScienceDirect study reveals that African American communities living in formerly redlined neighborhoods continue to face disadvantages today — from poor housing quality to higher climate risks. Homsy says policymakers must make targeted efforts. “It is harder to get to rental units where a lot of poor people live,” he noted. “We need to work harder to get into these communities of color.”