Mitch McConnell said Sunday that Joe Biden’s nomination to the Supreme Court, Ketanji Brown Jackson, will be treated “much better” than the Democrats treated Donald Trump’s nominees at the time of their confirmation.
“I’m going to listen to the hearing, and by the way, she’s going to be treated a lot better than the Democrats used to treat Republican candidates like Clarence Thomas and Brett Kavanaugh,” the Republican Senate leader said, referring to the nominated judges. former President George W. Bush and Trump, respectively.
Judges Thomas and Kavanaugh had a contentious confirmation process riddled with complications due to allegations of sexual harassment.
Jackson, however, is a less controversial nominee as many Republicans have already voiced their support for her high court confirmation, and if confirmed, she will become the first black woman to serve on the high court in over 200 years. history.
“It’s going to be a respectful, deep dive into her track record, which I think is quite fitting for a lifetime nominee,” McConnell told CBS’s Face the Nation on Sunday morning.
He also said that although he had praised Jackson in the past, she had failed to “defend the integrity of the court” by giving him a commitment that she would oppose the packaging of the court, which her predecessor Judge Stephen Breuer had done.
“I haven’t made a final decision yet on how I’m going to vote,” McConnell said of Jackson.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell assured Sunday that Republicans will treat Supreme Court nominee Joe Biden better than Democrats have treated past GOP presidential candidates, including Clarence Thomas and Brett Kwano.
McConnell also said he is not yet sure if he will vote to confirm Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson (pictured right) after Joe Biden (left) nominated her to replace outgoing Justice Stephen Breyer.
On the upcoming Senate confirmation hearing for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson this week, @LeaderMcConnell says, “I haven’t made a final decision yet on how I’m going to vote… By the way, she’s going to be treated a lot better than the Democrats usually treat Republican candidates.” pic.twitter.com/XgK6i6xRXC
— Face the Nation (@FaceTheNation) March 20, 2022
Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin said “it’s not true that” Senator Josh Hawley alleges that Jackson is being lenient in child pornography cases. The Democratic senator added that Hawley is “a fringe of the Republican Party.”
Hawley (right) and Jackson (left) pose before their meeting at the Capitol earlier this month.
While votes for Supreme Court candidates are traditionally fairly partisan based, many Republican candidates have experienced some controversial confirmation processes, including Thomas and Kavanaugh, who were accused of sexual harassment or assault in the midst of their confirmation.
The Senate Judiciary Committee, chaired by Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, will hold four days of confirmation hearings this week for Jackson after she was chosen to replace Breuer after his retirement was announced in January.
Breuer’s resignation will take place at the end of the Supreme Court session this summer.
Even without any support from the Republican Party, the Republicans would still be able to get Jackson confirmed if their party remained united. Vice President Kamala Harris will be asked to override any tie vote – more likely in a 50-50 split of the Senate. But Democrats are still lobbying Republicans in the hope they can get some sort of bipartisan support to get her confirmed.
Maine Senator Susan Collins is the most likely Republican to support Jackson, suggesting after a 90-minute meeting this month that she would likely vote to confirm. Collins, along with Republican Senators Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, voted to confirm Jackson in an appeals court last year.
However, Graham and Murkowski said they might not vote for her this time.
Republican Senator Josh Hawley, who sits on the Judiciary Committee, accused Jackson of being soft on child pornography cases, making it clear he would not vote to approve it.
“Judge Jackson has yet to deal with her disturbing track record with child porn offenders,” Hawley tweeted on Friday.
He criticized fact-checking media outlets for “burping White House talking points” and insisted they “ask the man nominated to the Supreme Court” about the allegations he’s making.
Jackson nominated to replace outgoing Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer (second from right, bottom). He will leave the hall at the end of the Supreme Court session this summer.
Democrats hope to confirm Jackson by April 8 before going on a two-week spring break. The road to Supreme Court confirmation can be quick or take months
“What does that tell you about the coming confirmation battle?” ABC This week host George Stephanopoulos asked Sen. Durbin Sunday morning.
“What he says is not true,” Durbin said, adding that Hawley is “a fringe of the Republican Party.”
“This was the man who punched the bloody mob that descended on the Capitol on January 6 last year,” he continued. “He doesn’t have the trust he thinks he has.”
“As far as Senator Hawley is concerned, the bottom line is that he is wrong. He is inaccurate and unfair in his analysis. Judge Jackson has been scrutinized more than any other person I can think of,” he insisted.
“And now Senator Hawley is making these allegations that came out of nowhere,” Durbin added, arguing that “independent fact-checkers,” including The Washington Post and CNN, have already discredited Hawley’s claims.
Durbin has become known for his close relationship with the Republicans, which is likely to be tested this week.
Hawley’s claims against Jackson are likely to be the focus of Republican criticism of nominee Biden.
The Senate Judiciary will review and study Jackson’s records Monday through Thursday before voting to send her nomination to the floor for a full Senate vote.
Jackson will deliver his opening statement on Monday before committee members deliver their opening remarks. She will start asking questions on Tuesday, which will last until Wednesday.
Each of the 22 panelists will have 30 minutes to ask Jackson questions, and if a second round of questions is allowed, each will have another 20 minutes.
Jackson will not be in the hearing Thursday as lawyers and representatives
The American Bar Association will testify about her criminal record.
Democrats are aiming to get Jackson confirmed before their two-week spring break begins on April 8.
Several Republicans who met with Jackson privately ahead of the public hearing praised her legal acuity and extensive experience.
Jackson was a public defender as well as a member of the United States Sentencing Commission and a federal district court judge. Last year, she was confirmed as an appellate judge.
Clarence Thomas, and Thurgood Marshall before him, are the only two blacks to ever serve on the Supreme Court. Jackson will become the first black woman on the high court.
During the 2020 campaign, Biden promised that if he had the opportunity to choose a Supreme Court justice, he would nominate a black woman. This has been widely criticized by Republicans, who argue that it narrowed the pool of qualified individuals for a lifetime appointment. Some have even accused the president of engaging in a form of affirmative action.
McConnell said he had no problem with Biden’s pledge, but also signaled his Republican conference to focus on topics other than Jackson’s race.
Senators will be spaced apart during hearings to maintain social distancing as the pandemic prevails, although the Capitol has waived mask requirements so they won’t need to cover up in the committee room.
The road to a Supreme Court confirmation can be a grueling one