President Biden’s judicial nominee, Zahid Quraishi, appeared to have been stumped by basic legal terms during his confirmation hearing in the Senate on Wednesday. While testifying to the Senate Judiciary Committee, Quraishi, a former military judge, was asked by Republican Senator John Kennedy to clarify the meaning of several basic legal terms. Unfortunately, Quraishi appeared to be unfamiliar or uncertain with those terms.
Kennedy began the questioning of Quraishi by asking the nominee to explain the meaning of the terms “statutory mandate,” “due process of law,” and “notice and comment rulemaking.” Quraishi responded to Senator Kennedy that he was “not sure” about what the terms meant.
Senator Kennedy immediately followed by further questioning, this time relating to the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. Kennedy asked Quraishi if he was familiar with the concept of “strict scrutiny.” Again, Quraishi replied that he was “not sure” what it meant.
The unfortunate exchange between President Biden’s judicial nominee and Senator Kennedy was very brief, but it quickly sparked widespread curiosity and criticism of Quraishi’s qualifications for the bench. As the President’s nominee to the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, Quraishi is expected to uphold the rule of law and have a basic understanding of the legal system.
Nevertheless, Democrats in the Senate Judiciary Committee continued to express support for Quraishi’s nomination.
“We know that Judge Quraishi is not only qualified, but extremely well-prepared,” said Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN). “He has impressive legal experience, and I am confident that he will make an outstanding judge once confirmed.”
Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) expressed similar sentiments.
“Judge Quraishi is a highly respected federal judge with a deep background in the law,” he said. “His legal acumen is beyond reproach, and he is more than qualified to serve on the Third Circuit Court of Appeals.”
Ultimately, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted in favor of advancing Quraishi’s nomination to the Senate floor. It is unclear at this time whether the Senate will confirm him for the position, but it appears that Biden’s nominee has enough support to make it through the confirmation process.