Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina announced that he will vote against Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s nomination to the Supreme Court after he aggressively questioned her during her confirmation hearings last week.
Mr Graham said he would vote against her confirmation despite the fact that he had voted to confirm Ms Jackson to the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
Mr Graham specifically cited her handling of sentencing in child sex abuse images, over which he and other Senators such as Josh Hawley and Ted Cruz repeatedly grilled her last week.
“My decision is based upon her record of judicial activism, flawed sentencing methodology regarding child pornography cases, and a belief that Judge Jackson will not be deterred by the plain meaning of the law when it comes to liberal causes,” he tweeted.
“I find Judge Jackson to be a person of exceptionally good character, respected by her peers, and someone who has worked hard to achieve her current position,” he said. “However, her record is overwhelming in its lack of a steady judicial philosophy and a tendency to achieve outcomes in spite of what the law requires or common sense would dictate.”
Mr Graham had aggressively lobbied for President Joe Biden to nominate Judge J Michelle Childs from his native South Carolina to the Supreme Court and criticised progressives for opposing her nomination. He also seethed about Democrats’ treatment of Justice Brett Kavanaugh during his confirmation hearing.
Mr Graham’s announcement comes after Senator Susan Collins announced she would vote to confirm Ms Jackson. But so far, not a single Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee announced they would vote to confirm Ms Jackson. Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina announced his opposition on Wednesday and Senator Ben Sasse did on Friday despite the fact his questioning was not as vociferous as other Republicans’.
Democratic Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia announced his support for Ms Jackson last week, all but ensuring her confirmation.
