Cruz asked why the cases weren't being filed in red districts. (AP)
Klobuchar disputed this, telling Cruz the injunctions from federal judges were a result of President Donald Trump "violating the Constitution."
"Why would Trump-appointed judges …," the Minnesota Democrat began before being interrupted by Cruz.
SENATE DEMS FORESHADOW MORE FORCED VOTES TO BLOCK TRUMP'S EMERGENCY ORDERS
Donald Trump, Judge James Boasberg, Amir Ali and Ana Reyes (Valerie Plesch/Bloomberg via Getty Images; U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia; Senator Durbin via YouTube; Bill Pugliano via Getty Images)
Cruz criticized Democrats for not sufficiently denouncing threats against conservative Supreme Court justices in recent years. But Klobuchar called that a lie, explaining, "We came together and got more funding for the judges and changed things so that they had more protection."
While multiple Democrats criticized "judge shopping" during the hearing, they were careful not to get behind Republican bills to end all nationwide injunctions.
"It's impossible to separate the hearing from President Trump's record in office," said ranking member Dick Durbin, D-Ill.
TRUMP, SENATE GOP BUDGET LEADERS HUDDLE AT WHITE HOUSE ON RECONCILIATION BILL
Durbin claimed the injunctions were evidence Trump's actions are unconstitutional. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
But ending judge shopping, as Democrats have proposed in the past, wouldn't completely address the issue, said majority witnesses John N. Matthews, a law professor at Notre Dame Samuel Bray, and Jesse Panuccio, partner at Boies Schiller Flexner. He was previously the acting associate attorney general at the Department of Justice (DOJ), chairman of the DOJ’s Regulatory Reform Task Force and vice chairman of the DOJ’s Task Force on Market Integrity and Consumer Fraud.
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"I think the incentive for forum shopping is that you think you can get a judge who can be a ruler for the whole nation. So, fix the problem of judges overreaching," Panuccio.
Julia Johnson is a politics writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business, leading coverage of the U.S. Senate. She was previously a politics reporter at the Washington Examiner.
Follow Julia's reporting on X at @JuliaaJohnson_ and send tips to Julia.Johnson@fox.com.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/ted-cruz-clashes-key-dem-over-second-phase-lawfare-through-federal-judges-orders