Cruz and Klobuchar face off in key hearing over federal judges’ orders
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., engaged in a heated exchange during a hearing on federal judges’ nationwide orders against the Trump administration. The Democrat dismissed Cruz’s claims of “lawfare,” leading to a tense back-and-forth between the two senators.
Cruz accused Democrats of engaging in what he called the “second phase of lawfare” by seeking out individual judges to thwart the Trump administration’s policies. He claimed that these efforts were a result of Democrats failing to impeach President Trump and prevent his re-election.
Klobuchar pushed back against Cruz’s assertions, stating that the injunctions issued by federal judges were a response to the administration’s violations of the Constitution. She emphasized that the judges were not acting out of malice or bias but were upholding the rule of law.
The discussion turned to the issue of judge shopping, with Cruz questioning why cases were being filed in liberal districts rather than red districts. Klobuchar defended the judges, warning that baseless accusations could incite threats and violence against them.
While Democrats criticized judge shopping during the hearing, they stopped short of supporting Republican proposals to end all nationwide injunctions. Ranking member Dick Durbin, D-Ill., tied the injunctions to what he viewed as unconstitutional actions by the Trump administration.
Witnesses at the hearing, including law professor John N. Matthews and former DOJ official Jesse Panuccio, highlighted the need to address judges’ overreach rather than just ending judge shopping. Panuccio emphasized that the incentive for forum shopping was the belief that a judge could dictate policy for the entire nation.
Overall, the hearing underscored the ongoing debate over nationwide injunctions and the role of federal judges in shaping national policy. The contentious exchange between Cruz and Klobuchar highlighted the deep partisan divide on this issue, with both sides offering differing perspectives on the matter.
