President Donald Trump’s nominee for a seat on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has garnered the disapproval of some Republican senators for his record on First and Second Amendment issues.
Former Republican attorney general of Hawaii Mark Bennett saw senators Ted Cruz (R., Tex.) and Ben Sasse (R., Neb.) break with the rest of the Judicial Committee and vote against his nomination last week. The senators said their decision was driven by a pair of amicus briefs Bennett signed on to opposing landmark gun rights and free speech Supreme Court decisions. The two Republicans expressed skepticism over appointing Bennett to a lifetime position in the federal judiciary given his record, despite Bennett’s assurances that he would abide by binding precedents if confirmed.
Cruz described Bennett’s record as “troubling.”
“He was an aggressive advocate, as attorney general, for gay marriage. He was an aggressive advocate demonstrating hostility to the First Amendment and political speech,” he said in a committee meeting on Thursday. “Most significantly, he has been an aggressive advocate for undermining the Second Amendment.”
Read more at the Free Beacon.
