Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson is sailing toward confirmation on Thursday, with accusations of being weak on child porn felons having failed to derail Democrats’ push to get her on the bench.
Judge Jackson will make history when the Senate votes, likely Thursday morning, to confirm her as the first Black woman to become a Supreme Court justice.
Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer, New York Democrat, touted the accomplishment as a win for diversity.
“Never before has the Supreme Court had a Black woman bear the title ’justice.’ She will be the first, and I have no doubt in my mind that she will pave the way for others in the future,” he said.
Republicans, though, charge she is a judicial activist.
Several GOP lawmakers also have argued she is weak on crime, pointing to her sentencing of child porn felons. They said in several cases, she handed down sentences that were below what the minimum guidelines suggested.
“In case after case, when statutory text, standards, or guidelines pointed one way, Judge Jackson set them aside and charted a course to a different outcome,” said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Kentucky Republican.
Only three GOP lawmakers have sided with Democrats to back President Biden’s historic appointment: Sens. Susan M. Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Mitt Romney of Utah.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene accused senators — including the three GOP crossover votes — of being “pro-pedophile.”
The Georgia Republican took to Twitter on Tuesday night after the Senate voted to move forward with the confirmation.
“Any Senator voting to confirm #KJB is pro-pedophile just like she is,” the lawmaker tweeted. “There are MANY more qualified black women judges, that actually can define what a woman is, but Biden chose the one that protects evil child predators.”
Ms. Collins dismissed the comments, telling reporters Ms. Greene’s accusations were “obviously ludicrous.” Spokespeople for Mr. Romney and Ms. Murkowski did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Democrats, though, have argued Judge Jackson used her discretion and is not out of the mainstream on sentencing.
Once confirmed, Judge Jackson will be the sixth woman to ever sit on the bench, and she’ll join three other women currently on the court: Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Amy Coney Barrett.
• Alex Swoyer can be reached at aswoyer@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.