Washington — Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine will vote to substantiate Choose Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Courtroom, she introduced Wednesday, offering President Biden's historic nominee with not less than one GOP vote towards her doubtless affirmation.
"After reviewing Choose Ketanji Brown Jackson's in depth document, watching a lot of her listening to testimony, and assembly along with her twice in individual, I've concluded that she possesses the expertise, qualifications, and integrity to function an affiliate justice on the Supreme Courtroom," Collins mentioned in an announcement. "I'll, subsequently, vote to substantiate her to this place. "
Collins' resolution to assist Jackson's nomination to the Supreme Courtroom comes after the 2 met privately for a second time Tuesday. The Maine senator mentioned the 2 had a "good" assembly and informed reporters Jackson clarified some excellent points.
Collins and Jackson met for the primary time in the beginning of March for greater than 90 minutes. The New York Occasions first reported Collins would vote to substantiate Jackson, who would be the first Black lady to serve on the Supreme Courtroom if confirmed.
The White Home has been hoping Jackson's nomination would clear the Senate with bipartisan backing, and Collins' assist ensures it will occur. Two different GOP senators who're seen as presumably voting to substantiate Jackson, Sens. Mitt Romney of Utah and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, haven't but mentioned whether or not they intend to assist the affirmation.
Romney met with Jackson on Tuesday and mentioned he'll doubtless reveal his resolution when the Senate holds its remaining vote. Murkowski, considered one of three Republicans who backed Jackson's nomination to the federal appeals court docket in Washington, had a one-on-one assembly with the decide earlier this month.
Jackson appeared earlier than the Senate Judiciary Committee final week for a grueling two days of questions from the panel's 22 Democratic and Republican members. She has continued to fulfill with senators forward of the committee's vote on whether or not to advance her nomination to the Senate flooring, which is about for Monday.
Democratic leaders are aiming to carry the ultimate vote on Jackson's affirmation earlier than the Senate leaves city for a two-week recess April 8.
Mr. Biden introduced Jackson as his nominee to switch retiring Justice Stephen Breyer on the finish of February. A decide on the U.S. Courtroom of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, Jackson made historical past as the primary Black lady to be nominated to the Supreme Courtroom, and can accomplish that once more if the Senate approves her nomination.
Throughout her affirmation hearings, which spanned a complete of 4 days, Republicans on the Judiciary Committee zeroed in on Jackson's sentencing document in youngster pornography instances whereas she was a decide on the federal district court docket in Washington and claimed she imposed lenient sentences that have been properly under federal pointers.
Others GOP senators criticized Jackson for declining to put a label on her judicial philosophy, in addition to for the shoppers she represented as a federal public defender and for refusing to take a place on including seats to the Supreme Courtroom throughout her hearings.
Collins mentioned she mentioned with Jackson "in depth" a number of points raised throughout her affirmation hearings.
"Generally I agreed along with her; typically I didn't. And simply as I've disagreed with a few of her selections thus far, I've little doubt that, if Choose Jackson is confirmed, I can't agree with each vote that she casts as a justice," she mentioned in her assertion. "That alone, nonetheless, just isn't disqualifying."
Collins has throughout her tenure within the Senate voted to substantiate Supreme Courtroom nominees put forth by Republican and Democratic presidents, together with Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch, nominated by former President Donald Trump, and Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan, nominated by former President Barack Obama.
She didn't, nonetheless, assist Justice Amy Coney Barrett, citing the shut proximity of the affirmation vote to the 2020 presidential election.
In her assertion, Collins lamented the altering nature of Supreme Courtroom affirmation fights, which have develop into bitterly partisan lately, and mentioned the position of the Senate when inspecting nominees to the excessive court docket is "to not assess whether or not a nominee displays the ideology of a person senator or would rule precisely as a person senator would need."
"Irrespective of the place you fall on the ideological spectrum, anybody who has watched a number of of the final Supreme Courtroom affirmation hearings would attain the conclusion that the method is damaged," she mentioned. "A part of the reason being that, lately, the method has more and more moved away from what I consider to be applicable for evaluating a Supreme Courtroom nominee."
With Democrats controlling 50 seats within the Senate, Jackson doesn't want Republican assist to be confirmed to the Supreme Courtroom, as Vice President Kamala Harris would forged a tie-breaking vote. However Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin, a Democrat from Illinois, informed reporters earlier this month he has been working to steer Republicans to again her, arguing "this can be a second within the historical past of america, and I at all times need to attempt to be on the fitting facet of historical past."