GOP’s Collins Signals Potential Support for Court Pick Jackson

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) praised Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s qualifications after meeting with the nominee, calling their conversation “very productive” and “helpful.”

“I thought it went well. We covered a lot of issues. She explained in great depth the methodology that she uses as she approaches the cases that come before her,” Collins said after meeting Tuesday with Jackson in her office for more than 90 minutes.

Collins is one of the Senate Republicans most likely to vote in favor of Jackson’s confirmation. So far, she’s supported 87% of President Joe BIden’s judicial nominees, including Jackson’s nomination to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

“It’s clear that her credentials and the breadth of her experience are impressive,” Collins said. Prior to her role on the D.C. Circuit, Jackson was a federal district judge, a member of the U.S. Sentencing Commission, and a public defender. She also worked in private practice.

Collins said she wanted to wait for the Senate Judiciary Committee’s hearings before coming to a final decision on whether she will support Jackson’s nomination.

In response to a question about the timeline of the nomination, Collins pointed to Jackson’s previous confirmations by the Senate for the U.S. Sentencing Commission and her two judgeships.

“It’s important to recognize that she has been confirmed three times now, so this is not a candidate that is a blank slate to us,” Collins said.