Sen. Mitch McConnell said Thursday he will vote no on confirming Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson.
The Senate’s top Republican accused President Biden’s pick for the high court of being soft on crime and a judicial activist.
The Kentucky senator also took issue with the nominee not denouncing progressives’ calls to pack the Supreme Court.
“Judge Jackson refuses to reject the fringe position,” Mr. McConnell said on the chamber floor. “Justice Ginsburg and Justice Breyer had no problem denouncing this unpopular view and defending their institution. I assumed this would be an easy softball for Judge Jackson but it wasn’t.”
The GOP leader complained progressive groups that called for liberal justices to be added to the court had backed Judge Jackson.
“Judge Jackson was the court packers’ pick and she testified like it,” he said.
SEE ALSO: Senate Democrats labor to counter charges Judge Jackson is soft on child porn criminals
Mr. McConnell said despite a national crime wave, Mr. Biden is attempting to make the federal bench soft on crime.
“The judge regularly gave certain terrible kinds of criminals light sentences that were beneath the sentencing guidelines and beneath the prosecutors’ requests,” he said.
The Senate Judiciary Committee plans to meet Monday to take up Judge Jackson’s nomination.
Senate Democrats aim to have her confirmed before leaving for Easter recess, which begins April 8.
Judge Jackson will be replacing retiring Justice Stephen G. Breyer, who is scheduled to retire at the end of the court’s term, which wraps up in June.
• Alex Swoyer can be reached at aswoyer@washingtontimes.com.
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