Senator Welch Questions Judge Nominee Jennifer Mascott on Inspectors General and Election Integrity

Congressional Authority and Inspectors General

• 🎯 Senator Welch questioned Jennifer Mascott, nominee for United States Circuit Judge, regarding Congress's authority to establish Inspectors General.
• 💡 Mascott stated that while Congress has the power to appropriate funds and oversee their expenditure, the Inspector General's office must ultimately be under the supervision of the executive branch.
• 💰 She acknowledged a constitutional tension between Congress's oversight obligations and the executive branch's ultimate authority over Inspectors General.
• ⚖️ Mascott emphasized sticking to general constitutional principles when answering questions that could come before her as a judge.

Executive Power and Oversight

• 🏛️ The discussion touched upon the executive branch's power to fire Inspectors General, with Welch noting instances where statutory notice periods were not met.
• ⚡ Mascott reiterated that any official responsible for executive power must be accountable to the President due to the core value of elections in the U.S. system.
• 📊 Welch pressed on the tension between Congress's responsibility to appropriate funds and ensure their wise expenditure, and the executive's role.

Tariffs and Executive Authority

• 📈 The conversation shifted to Congress's authority to impose tariffs and whether the executive has the legal authority to use tariffs based on disagreement with another country's judicial policy.
• 📜 Mascott responded that the legal basis for tariffs typically stems from statutes enacted by Congress with broad discretionary language.

2020 Election Winner

• ❓ When asked directly who won the 2020 election, Mascott stated that President Biden was certified the winner.
• 🎤 Welch pressed further, asking if Biden won or just "accidentally got certified," to which Mascott reiterated her previous answer.