Joe Manchin Announces His Decision on Ketanji Jackson's Confirmation

On Friday, Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) announced that he intends to vote to confirm Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson.

“After meeting with Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, considering her record, and closely monitoring her testimony and questioning before the Senate Judiciary Committee this week, I have determined I intend to vote for her nomination to serve on the Supreme Court,” he said on Twitter.

His support likely ensures her confirmation to the court.

“Judge Jackson’s record and career are exemplary,” Manchin claims. “I am confident Judge Jackson is supremely qualified and has the disposition necessary to serve as our nation’s next Supreme Court Justice.”

After meeting with Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, considering her record, and closely monitoring her testimony and questioning before the Senate Judiciary Committee this week, I have determined I intend to vote for her nomination to serve on the Supreme Court. My full statement: pic.twitter.com/SUgwuBtHup

— Senator Joe Manchin (@Sen_JoeManchin) March 25, 2022

Manchin’s confirmation vote was potentially consequential if Republicans remain united in opposition to Biden’s radical pick. One issue that raised doubts about how Manchin would vote was Jackson’s embrace of critical race theory. Last year Manchin joined with Senate Republicans to pass an amendment banning the use of federal funds to teach critical race theory, suggesting that Manchin might have balked at voting for her confirmation. But, apparently, neither her views on CRT nor her soft-on-crime and soft-on-child-porn-offenders record were enough to convince him to vote against her.

All eyes now will look toward Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), who has so far been mum as to how she’ll likely vote. However, upon meeting with Jackson earlier this month, she said in a statement, “As I promised Arizonans, I am carefully considering Judge Jackson’s nomination. Today, we had a very productive meeting and I welcomed hearing directly her belief in the importance of an independent judiciary, her judicial philosophy, and her approach to precedent. I look forward to watching her nomination hearings ahead of a Senate vote.”

Sinema previously voted to confirm Jackson to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, and it looks pretty likely that she’ll vote to confirm her to the Supreme Court.