On Wednesday, Maine Senator Susan Collins shocked colleagues when she released an official statement of support for Supreme Court nominee, Ketanji Brown Jackson.
“After reviewing Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s extensive record, watching much of her hearing testimony, and meeting with her twice in person, I have concluded that she possesses the experience, qualifications, and integrity to serve as an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court. I will, therefore, vote to confirm her to this position.” Sen Collins said in a statement.
Sen. Collins’ support means that Vice President Kamala Harris will not be forced to cast a tie-breaking vote. Democrats had noted that though they did not require support from any Republicans to confirm Jackson to the bench they still sought to receive at least one Republican vote.
In Collins’s statement, she touches on Jackson’s past judicial record which some Republicans have raised concerns over.
per The Hill:
In my meetings with Judge Jackson, we discussed in depth several issues that were raised in her hearing. Sometimes I agreed with her; sometimes I did not. And just as I have disagreed with some of her decisions to date, I have no doubt that, if Judge Jackson is confirmed, I will not agree with every vote that she casts as a Justice.
That alone, however, is not disqualifying. Indeed, that statement applies to all six Justices, nominated by both Republican and Democratic Presidents, whom I have voted to confirm.
No matter where you fall on the ideological spectrum, anyone who has watched several of the last Supreme Court confirmation hearings would reach the conclusion that the process is broken. Part of the reason is that, in recent years, the process has increasingly moved away from what I believe to be appropriate for evaluating a Supreme Court nominee.
In my view, the role the Constitution clearly assigns to the Senate is to examine the experience, qualifications, and integrity of the nominee. It is not to assess whether a nominee reflects the ideology of an individual Senator or would rule exactly as an individual Senator would want.
So far, Collins remains the only Republican to reveal their plan to vote in favor of Jackson’s confirmation. However, there has been speculation Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski could also vote in her favor.
