A special fight is not expected, but it can still turn out ugly
In addition to Graham, several other Republican senators made a number of statements. Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina expressed disappointment that Biden didn’t choose Childs. Utah Senator Mitt Romney called her nomination “historic.” Collins, whose contribution will be critical to securing the bipartisan support Biden wants, called her “a seasoned federal judge with impressive academic and legal credentials.”
However, none of them committed to vote for Jackson. Hill’s aides said the left-wing activists given the new powers could alienate some Republican senators. On the right, powerful conservative advocacy groups like the Judicial Crisis Network may be hungry for a showdown that moderates in the Senate don’t want.
“Conservative voters expect senators to stand up and fight,” said Bobby Donachi, vice president of Athos, who represents several right-wing organizations involved in the nomination. “Any Republican who votes for Jackson will have to answer for the decisions she makes.”
But, as our colleague Karl Hals reported, Republican leaders doesn’t seem to have a big appetite for the protracted battle for nominations. They probably don’t have votes and are wary of giving Democrats the opportunity to make accusations of racism.
This does not mean that they will vote for Jackson. Mitch McConnell, the Senate’s top Republican and lead nomination strategist, noted that he had previously voted against her and said in a statement that she was “the favored choice of far-left dark money groups who have spent years attacking the legitimacy and structure of the Court itself.”
Meanwhile, Republican committees and outside groups will take the opportunity to raise money and build their mailing lists. In their statementSenate Republicans said Democrats “blindly stamped Joe Biden’s disastrous liberal agenda.” Republicans in the House of Representatives sent out an email asking voters to help the “STOP radical Biden Supreme Court nominee” group.
Jeremy Pariswho worked on four Supreme Court nominations in senior positions as a Senate Democratic aide, said he expects Jackson to have “relatively smooth sailing.”