Montana Republican Sen. Steve Daines accused the White House of canceling his meeting with Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson this week before the Senate confirmation process begins in earnest.
Mr. Daines said he was supposed to meet with the nominee on Tuesday but the get-together was canceled.
He claimed in a statement Wednesday that the White House rescheduled the meeting for next week — after Senate confirmation votes are to begin for the nominee.
“I planned to meet with Judge Jackson to give her a chance to address my concerns on behalf of Montanans, like her views on the limited role of the judiciary and separation of powers, her willingness to uphold the Constitution and not serve as a political arm of Biden’s woke White House, her stance on the Second Amendment, and her record of being soft on crime,” Mr. Daines said.
“It’s clear that the Biden administration is not looking to build a more robust bipartisan consensus for this nomination, and it’s inexcusable that they would not allow the voices of all Montanans to be heard. I will be voting no on Judge Jackson’s nomination,” he added.
A White House spokesperson did not immediately return a request for comment.
Supreme Court nominees typically meet with senators ahead of their confirmation vote to give the lawmakers time to evaluate their record under the Constitution’s prescribed advise and consent role for presidential nominations.
Judge Jackson, though, will have bipartisan support for her nomination after Sen. Susan Collins, Maine Republican, announced Wednesday she’ll vote for the nominee. So far, she is the only Republican to signal she’ll support the judge.
If confirmed, Judge Jackson would replace retiring Justice Stephen Breyer. He is set to step down this summer after the current term ends.
The Senate Judiciary Committee will vote on Judge Jackson’s nomination on Monday and then the full Senate will later vote on her nomination. Democrats planned to have her confirmed ahead of the chamber’s Easter recess, which begins April 8.
• Alex Swoyer can be reached at aswoyer@washingtontimes.com.
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