Closing summary
Thank you so much for following events in US politics on our live blog today, we’re wrapping up now but do please find continuing coverage of Russia’s war in Ukraine on our round-the-clock, global blog here.
Here are the highlights from today’s US news:
- As expected, the Senate judiciary committee has deadlocked across party lines, 11 to 11, on the confirmation of Ketanji Brown Jackson to the supreme court. Now majority leader Chuck Schumer must call a vote to discharge the matter to the full Senate. Democrats are still holding out hope on getting her confirmed by the end of the week.
- Jake Sullivan, national security adviser, took to the podium during today’s White House press briefing to detail what lies ahead for Ukraine and Russia. He echoed statements made by Joe Biden earlier that evidence coming out of Bucha and the recently retaken Kyiv region depicts war crimes committed by Russian forces and Vladimir Putin must be held accountable for these atrocities. However, he said the killing in Ukraine has not yet risen to the level of genocide.
- Joe Biden spoke about his administration’s plan to strengthen the trucking industry amidst global supply chain issues.
- The House select committee tasked with investigating the 6 January attack on the US Capitol is moving to capitalize on new momentum.
Updated
White House press secretary Jen Psaki has responded to the comments made today by Lindsey Graham, the Republican senator from South Carolina, at the Senate judiciary hearing on Ketanji Brown Jackson’s confirmation to the supreme court.
Graham had said that if Republicans were in control, Jackson wouldn’t have even gotten a hearing. Psaki pointed out that Graham had voted to confirm her for another role previously. “Judge Jackson’s credentials, her record, warrant bipartisan support,” she said.
“Our view continues to be that qualified nominees, those who meet every objective bar of qualification, of background, should be considered and treated with fairness as they go through the process. That’s how President Biden is going to continue to operate and that’s how we would expect every member of the senate to continue to operate,” Psaki said.
“Obviously his comments are disappointing, but our focus needs to continue to be supporting Judge Jackson and her path to the supreme court.”
Updated
