Several Republican Senators Oppose Confirming Nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson

The U.S. Senate has yet to formally vote on President Biden’s nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court. Last week, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson underwent days’ worth of critical thinking legal questions. Several U.S. Senators, however, have expressed their intent to oppose her confirmation.

U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham said he will not vote for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson. Graham stated that “Her record is overwhelming in its lack of a steady judicial philosophy and a tendency to achieve outcomes in spite of what the law requires or common sense would dictate.” And “…[A]fter a thorough review of Judge Jackson’s record and information gained at the hearing from an evasive witness, I now know why Judge Jackson was the favorite for the radical left.” These remarks seem surprising since Graham voted to confirm Judge Jackson to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals just a year earlier. Some views and analysts simply claim this is political grandstanding.

Senator Richard Burr, who will be retiring soon, said he will not support her nomination to serve because her responses to questions about expanding the Supreme Court were “unsatisfactory.” Specifically, Burr stated that his “[T]op concern going into our meeting was ascertaining Judge Jackson’s position on radical proposals to pack the Supreme Court by expanding the number of justices. Court-packing is a transparent power grab – one that would forever compromise the integrity, impartiality, and independence of the Supreme Court.”

Texas Senator John Cornyn said that he will vote “no” to confirm Judge Jackson. Cornyn said, “Frankly, I couldn’t get a good answer from her on whether she understands the difference between my job, which is to make policy, and her job which is to interpret the law, not to make new judge-made law.” Cornyn further concluded, “[A]nd so, because I think that was kind of a blind spot and something I didn’t have confidence in, I’m a no vote.”

Despite these influential opponents, Senate Democrats still believe they can obtain a majority vote to confirm Judge Jackson. If confirmed, Judge Jackson will be the first African American woman to serve on the United States Supreme Court.

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