WASHINGTON—Senate Republicans signaled they have no intention of turning the confirmation of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court into an ugly partisan fight, focusing their energies instead on using President Biden’s pick to try to rally conservative voters heading into the midterm elections.
While confirmations in recent years have become bitter battles over the future of the court, lawmakers of both parties see the stakes differently this time, largely because Judge Jackson would replace Justice Stephen Breyer, a liberal-leaning jurist, in a court that is balanced 6-3 toward conservatives.
Most Republicans also believe that blocking Mr. Biden’s pick would be difficult, even in a 50-50 Senate. While Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona have sometimes opposed Mr. Biden’s policy priorities, they have backed the president’s judicial nominations. New Mexico Sen. Ben Ray Luján, who was sidelined with a stroke, is recovering and expected to return to the Senate soon.
…
“I don’t think Senate Republicans are going to do the scorched-earth approach,” said Mike Davis, founder of the Article III Project, which advocates for conservative judges. “It’s bad politics and it’s wrong to do it.”
With the court poised to decide cases on controversial issues including abortion rights and affirmative action, Democratic and Republican groups are already using the pick to try to raise money and enthusiasm ahead of November contests set to decide control of the House and Senate, currently held by Democrats.
…
Read the full article HERE.