U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., said this week he will voted against President Joe Biden’s nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Biden nominated Jackson in February to replace the retiring U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer.
Rubio signaled his opposition to Jackson after meeting her last month and announced this week he would vote against her.
“Judge Jackson’s story is inspiring, but we have serious disagreements on the Constitution and the proper role of the Supreme Court,” Rubio said. “I do not support nominees who believe the job of the Supreme Court is to make policy rather than apply the Constitution as written.”
Back in February, Rubio offered what he was looking for in a Supreme Court nominee.
“President Biden wrongly believes the Supreme Court should act as a legislative branch, actively overriding the will of the people and the Congress,” Rubio said. “My decision will be based on whether Judge Jackson has a demonstrated commitment to original intent, judicial restraint, and the understanding that the Supreme Court is a ‘trier of law’ appellate court and not a ‘trier of fact’ trial court. I will not support any nominee that believes it is appropriate for judges to craft new policies and create rights instead of interpreting and defending the Constitution as written.”
U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., is also expected to vote against Jackson.
With the Democrats controlling the chamber, Jackson is expected to win nomination when her nomination reaches the floor in the coming days. Three Republicans–U.S. Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Mitt Romney of Utah–have announced they will vote for her.
“I intend to vote in support of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s confirmation to be an associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. After reviewing Judge Jackson’s record and testimony, I have concluded that she is a well-qualified jurist and a person of honor. While I do not expect to agree with every decision she may make on the Court, I believe that she more than meets the standard of excellence and integrity. I congratulate Judge Jackson on her expected confirmation and look forward to her continued service to our nation,” Romney announced this week.
Brown Jackson currently serves as a circuit judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Before that, she served as a district judge on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia for eight years and clerked for three Supreme Court justices including Breyer.
