McConnell Says He Won’t Support Ketanji Brown Jackson For Supreme Court

Topline

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Thursday he will not vote to confirm Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court, as Republicans largely voice opposition to President Joe Biden’s nominee.

Key Facts

McConnell said on the Senate floor he went into the process “with an open mind” but decided after watching Senate Judiciary Committee hearings this week that he wouldn’t support her confirmation.

The senator cited Jackson’s refusal to state a position on whether she supports expanding the size of the Supreme Court as reason to oppose her nomination.

Jackson said at a hearing Tuesday that speaking on the issue would not be within “the proper role of a judge,” while noting that Trump-nominated Justice Amy Coney Barrett also didn’t state a position during a confirmation hearing in 2020.

McConnell voted against Jackson’s nomination last year to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Crucial Quote

“After studying the nominee’s record and watching her performance this week, I cannot and will not support Judge Jackson for a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court,” McConnell said.

Key Background

Despite a lack of Republican support, Jackson appears well on her way to being confirmed by April 8, when the Senate is scheduled to take a two-week break. Democrats appear united on voting to confirm Jackson, which would be enough on its own because the party controls the chamber and there is no 60-vote filibuster threshold required to end debate on the issue, which has been the death knell of many major Democratic legislative proposals. Supporters of Jackson’s nomination also still hope she will pick up a handful of Republican votes for her confirmation, with moderate Republicans like Sens. Susan Collins (Maine), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) and Mitt Romney (Utah) among those considered most likely to side with Democrats on a confirmation vote.

Tangent

A popular Republican attack in committee hearings this week was claiming Jackson didn’t give harsh enough sentences to child pornography offenders. Jackson said her sentences were in line with standard practices, and a representative of the American Bar Association said Thursday there is “no evidence” to support Republicans’ claims.

Further Reading

Jackson on court-packing: ‘Judges should not be speaking to political issues’ (Politico)

Ketanji Brown Jackson Hearings: ‘No Evidence’ Supporting GOP Criticism Of Supreme Court Nominee, Bar Association Says (Forbes)