Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) is considered a potential GOP vote for Ketanji Brown Jackson’s confirmation, but at the moment, she appears to be on the fence and says she has unanswered questions about Jackson’s judicial philosophy.
“I had a very good 90-minute meeting with her. But during that meeting I did not get enough information about her judicial philosophy. And that’s very important to me,” Collins told Fox News Monday. “Clearly her credentials are impressive, and her experience is extensive. But I want to hear her enunciate what her approach … would be as a Supreme Court justice.”
Collins’ attitude toward Jackson appears to have changed since meeting with Jackson earlier this month. At the time, she said that Jackson “explained in great depth the methodology that she uses as she approaches the cases that come before her.”
Is Collins signaling that she may not vote for Jackson? Collins was re-elected to the U.S. Senate in 2020 and arguably has no electoral pressure to vote either way on this nomination. However, one senator who is also a potential vote for Jackson’s confirmation is Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska). She faces a primary challenge from a Trump-backed candidate and may feel inclined to oppose Jackson’s confirmation.
Even if Republicans are united in opposition to Jackson, in a 50-50 split Senate, if Democrats are similarly united, Jackson could still be confirmed with Kamala Harris’s tie-breaking vote.
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