As the U.S. Senate kicked off its confirmation hearings for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the nation’s highest court Monday, Vermont’s Sen. Patrick Leahy made a plea for bipartisanship during what can be a politically cutthroat process.
Leahy plays a key role in the Supreme Court nomination process. He is the longest-serving member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and is its former chair.
If she is confirmed, Jackson would be the first Black woman on the U.S. Supreme Court — a historic milestone Leahy celebrated Monday.
“Her nomination, pending a confirmation by the Senate, will bring us one step closer to having a Supreme Court that is more reflective of the nation, one where diversity of race, gender, background, education and experience allow all Americans to look to their Court and see in its Justices a reflection of the American people,” Leahy said in his opening remarks. “Judge Jackson, you know, with your presence here today, you are writing a new page in the history of America, a good page.”
In June 2021, the Senate confirmed Jackson to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. The vast majority of Republicans voted against her confirmation, but three — Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.; Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska; and Susan Collins, R-Maine — voted yes.
Leahy lamented Monday what he called the Senate’s “judicial wars,” which “have left Americans feeling like our courts have become increasingly partisan.”
“And yet, in this moment, we have before us a unique opportunity to change that narrative,” he said. “I’m under no illusion that we can mend this process overnight, but we have before us a nominee who has brought us together across party lines before and one I hope that can bring us back together again.”
If confirmed, Jackson would also be the first federal public defender to serve on the high court. In his remarks, Leahy harkened back to his eight years as the Chittenden County state’s attorney prior to his election to Congress.
“The confidence in my prosecution of a case was strongest when I knew the defendant had the best possible representation,” he said. “When both sides and the presiding judge have a real grasp on our criminal justice system, that’s when justice is most likely to be done. So I would say Judge Jackson’s background is not a liability to the court. It’s a much-needed asset to the court.”
The committee has scheduled several days more of hearings, during which members will question Jackson, then vote on whether to send her nomination to a full Senate vote.
Vermont’s three-member congressional delegation threw its support behind Jackson from the time she was nominated by President Joe Biden last month. While not a member of the judiciary committee, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., will cast a vote on her nomination should it proceed to the Senate floor, and in February called her “immensely qualified” and “committed to fairness and equal justice under the law.”
“Judge Jackson has already been confirmed by the Senate three times on a bipartisan basis — twice by unanimous consent,” Sanders said at the time. “There is no reason for her not to receive a fair and expeditious hearing in the Judiciary Committee and to be confirmed by the Senate as quickly as possible.”
From the House, Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., tweeted during Monday’s hearing that Jackson is “a highly qualified and dedicated jurist and an excellent choice for the Supreme Court. I wish her the best of luck as she navigates her upcoming hearings.”
