{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.durbin.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/durbin-questions-judicial-nominees-during-a-senate-judiciary-committee-nominations-hearing", "Durbin Questions Judicial Nominees During A Senate Judiciary Committee Nominations Hearing", "2025-11-19", "2025", "2025-11", "Democrat", "Senate", "IL", "Richard J. Durbin", "D000563", "www.durbin.senate.gov", "durbin", "https://www.durbin.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today questioned three judicial nominees at a Senate Judiciary Committee nominations hearing. Durbin first questioned Nicholas Jon Ganjei, nominated to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, about whether his statements condemning those who assault law enforcement apply to the January 6 offenders who attacked law enforcement during the January 6 insurrection. Mr. Ganjei has stated on multiple occasions that he employs a \u201czero tolerance policy\u201d against those who assault law enforcement officials, and he has argued that individuals who attack law enforcement are \u201cattacking the American system of justice.\u201d\n\n\u201cDo you stand by your comments criticizing individuals who violently assault law enforcement?\u201d Durbin asked.\n\nMr. Ganjei responded that he does.\n\n\u201cDo you believe that January 6 offenders who were convicted of assaults on law enforcement [had] attacked the American system of justice?\u201d Durbin asked.\n\nMr. Ganjei deflected, claiming he could not answer as a judicial nominee.\n\nDurbin then questioned David Clay Wilkerson Fowlkes, nominated to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas, about the First Step Act. The bill, led by Durbin and U.S. Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Cory Booker (D-NJ), is bipartisan criminal justice reform legislation designed to make our justice system fairer and our communities safer by reforming sentencing laws and providing opportunities for those who are incarcerated to prepare to re-enter society successfully.\n\n\u201cWhat are your thoughts on the First Step Act as a federal prosecutor, and what steps will you take as a judge, if you are confirmed, to ensure that you encourage rehabilitation whenever possible?\u201d Durbin asked.\n\nMr. Fowlkes responded that the First Step Act is an \u201cimportant piece of legislation.\u201d He continued to say that bill is an \u201cimportant part of\u2026 [the] rehabilitation of some of the criminals in our justice system.\u201d\n\nDurbin concluded his questions by asking about the Trump Administration and court orders.\n\n\u201cThere seems to be some doubt\u2026 as to whether the Trump Administration follows the orders of the court in a prompt [and] complete fashion. What will you consider to be the status of a court order if you issue a final order?\u201d Durbin asked.\n\nMr. Fowlkes responded that although he is constrained by the judicial canons, he continued to say, \u201cthe rulings of the court are inherently important to our justice system.\u201d\n\nDurbin directed the same question to Mr. Ganjei and Mr. Aaron Christian Peterson, nominated to the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska.\n\nMr. Ganjei responded that if confirmed, he would expect the parties, regardless of who they are, to follow [court orders].\n\nMr. Peterson responded, \u201cif I\u2019m fortunate enough to be confirmed, I would expect that any order that I enter would be followed by the parties.\u201d\n\nVideo of Durbin\u2019s questions in Committee is available here.\n\nAudio of Durbin\u2019s questions in Committee is available here.\n\nFootage of Durbin\u2019s questions in Committee is available here for TV Stations.\n\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:52:45Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.durbin.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/durbin-questions-judicial-nominees-during-a-senate-judiciary-committee-nominations-hearing"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.4962221030145884, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}