Attorney General Jeff Sessions refuses to retract widely rebuked remark criticizing Hawaii judge
Jeff Sessions claims he has no beef with Hawaii.
The attorney general argued on Friday that he meant no disrespect by saying he was "amazed" that a federal judge from Hawaii — or, as he calls it, "an island in the Pacific" — was able to block President Trump's contentious executive order attempting to ban immigration from a number of Muslim-majority nations.
"I wasn't criticizing the judge or the island," Sessions told CNN on Friday night. "I think it's a fabulous place and had a granddaughter born there."
However, Sessions said he finds it somewhat peculiar district judges have the legislative power that federal law entitles them.
"I got to tell you — it's a point worth making that a single sitting judge out of 600, 700 district judges can issue an order stopping a presidential executive order that I believe is fully constitutional, designed to protect the United States of America from terrorist attacks," Sessions said.
The Constitution affords federal judges the power to block laws, regulations or executive orders that they consider unconstitutional or unlawful.
Last month, Derrick Watson, of Hawaii, became the latest federal judge to block President Trump's executive order on immigration on the argument that it violates the Constitution.
Source:- http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/ag-jeff-sessions-refuses-retract-widely-rebuked-hawaii-remark-article-1.3087775
