Susan Collins to vote ‘yes’ on Ketanji Brown Jackson for Supreme Court, in first Republican backing

Supreme Court docket nominee Choose Ketanji Brown Jackson can have at the very least one Republican backing her affirmation, as Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, mentioned she’s going to vote for her.

Collins is the primary GOP senator to announce that she’s going to assist President Biden’s decide for the excessive courtroom.

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“After reviewing Choose Ketanji Brown Jackson’s in depth file, watching a lot of her listening to testimony, and assembly together with her twice in particular person, I’ve concluded that she possesses the expertise, {qualifications}, and integrity to function an Affiliate Justice on the Supreme Court docket,” Collins mentioned in a press release.  “I’ll, due to this fact, vote to substantiate her to this place.”

Collins had two non-public conferences with Jackson since Biden introduced the nomination. Collins famous that they “mentioned in depth a number of points that have been raised in her listening to,” together with a quantity on which they disagreed. She acknowledged that if Jackson does be part of the excessive courtroom, there are positive to be selections on which they disagree.

“That alone, nonetheless, just isn’t disqualifying,” Collins mentioned, stating that the identical holds true for every of the six justices she has voted to substantiate previously. Collins had additionally voted to substantiate Jackson to decrease courts, together with her present place on the D.C. Circuit Court docket of Appeals.

FILE – On this June 30, 2020, file picture, Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, speaks throughout a Senate Well being, Schooling, Labor and Pensions Committee listening to on Capitol Hill in Washington. Collins operating for reelection to symbolize Maine within the Senate within the Nov. 3 normal election. (Al Drago/Pool through AP, File)

It stays to be seen whether or not different Republicans will vote to substantiate Jackson. No Democrats voted in favor of confirming the latest addition to the courtroom, Justice Amy Coney Barrett, who was the final of three justices chosen by former President Donald Trump. Practically each Democrat opposed Trump’s first two picks, Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh.

White Home chief of employees Ron Klain thanked Collins for her assist. “Grateful to @SenatorCollins for giving honest, considerate consideration to Choose Jackson — and all the @POTUS’ judicial nominations,” Klain tweeted.

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Collins commented on how politics has modified the Supreme Court docket affirmation course of, as previously senators would usually go together with a president’s selection.

“Regardless of the place you fall on the ideological spectrum, anybody who has watched a number of of the final Supreme Court docket affirmation hearings would attain the conclusion that the method is damaged,” Collins mentioned. “A part of the reason being that, lately, the method has more and more moved away from what I consider to be acceptable for evaluating a Supreme Court docket nominee.”

Collins defined that as she sees it, “the function the Structure clearly assigns to the Senate is to look at the expertise, {qualifications}, and integrity of the nominee,” and “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.”

Republicans have been extremely essential of Jackson’s file in felony instances, accusing her of going too straightforward on defendants, notably in little one pornography instances. She and Democratic supporters have dismissed such criticisms, claiming that her sentences have been correct.

The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to vote on Jackson’s nomination on April 4, which might then arrange a vote by the complete Senate later within the month.