The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Manchin says he’ll vote to put Jackson on Supreme Court
Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin announced Friday that he plans to vote for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to serve on the Supreme Court, likely assuring the confirmation of President Joe Biden’s nominee.
Manchin was a key vote to watch because he has bucked his party on some of its top domestic priorities. But Manchin has backed all of Biden’s judicial nominees, and he said he would continue to do so in the case of Jackson, who would become the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court.
“I am confident Judge Jackson is supremely qualified and has the disposition necessary to serve as our nation’s next Supreme Court justice,” Manchin said.
Manchin’s announcement indicates that Jackson will have the support of all 50 Senate Democrats. That would guarantee her confirmation, as Vice President Kamala Harris could break a tie.
Even as the path clears for Jackson to join the court, Democratic hopes of securing significant Republican support for her nomination appear to be fading.
On Thursday, just hours after the hearings came to a close, Senate
Republican Leader Mitch Mcconnell announced he will vote against Jackson’s confirmation. He said in a Senate floor speech that he “cannot and will not” support her for a lifetime appointment.
His position was expected and does not affect Jackson’s trajectory to be confirmed by mid-april. But the leader’s declaration could prompt many fellow Republicans to follow suit, thwarting Biden’s efforts to bring back the overwhelming bipartisan votes that were commonplace for Supreme Court nominees when he came to the Senate five decades ago.
“I think whomever I pick will get a vote from Republican side,” Biden said after Justice Stephen Breyer announced he would step down from the court this summer. As he started his search for a replacement, the president made a point of inviting Republican senators to the White House to hear their advice.
Manchin cited a variety of factors that he said influenced his decision on Jackson, such as her attending public schools and going on to graduate with academic honors from Harvard University and Harvard Law School. He noted she also clerked for three federal judges and spent time in private practice and served on the U.S. Sentencing Commission.