On Thursday, a judicial nominee for a U.S. district court put forward by President Joe Biden, faced questions from senators during a confirmation hearing and struggled to explain basic concepts related to the U.S. Constitution. The nominee, Charnelle Bjelkengren, tried to dodge answering questions directly, as she clearly did not have the answers. When asked about what article V of the Constitution does, Bjelkengren stated, “Article V is not coming to mind at the moment.” In a follow-up question about article II, Bjelkengren made a further spectacle of herself and failed to define what either article entails.
NEWS ROLLUP: Biden Judicial Nominee LOST on Basics of the Constitution
By News Rollup; January 27, 2023
On Thursday, a judicial nominee for a U.S. district court put forward by President Joe Biden faced questions from senators during a confirmation hearing and struggled to explain basic concepts related to the U.S. Constitution. The nominee, Charnelle Bjelkengren, was stumped by simple questions about the basics of the Constitution. When asked about what article V of the Constitution does, Bjelkengren stated, “Article V is not coming to mind at the moment.” In a follow-up question about article II, Bjelkengren made a further spectacle of herself and failed to define what it is.
The nominee’s lack of knowledge about these basic concepts raised concerns among senators about their ability to serve as a judge. Republican Senator Tom Cotton, who sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said that “any nominee for a lifetime appointment to the federal bench must have a basic understanding of our Constitution.”
Bjelkengren is Biden’s nominee for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington and is up for a committee vote in the coming days. Bjelkengren has shown no signs of withdrawal, and Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) doubled down in support of Bjelkengren, stating that Bjelkengren is an “exceptional nominee” who “reflects the diversity of this country.”
Republicans have continued to raise concerns about Bjelkengren’s qualifications, with Senator John Kennedy stating, “Just because you’ve seen ‘My Cousin Vinny’ doesn’t qualify you to be a federal judge.”