- Sen. Joe Manchin said he'll vote to confirm Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court.
- With Manchin's support, Jackson is almost certain to become the first Black woman on the high court.
- Manchin has never opposed a judge nominated by President Joe Biden.
Sen. Joe Manchin said on Friday that he'll vote to confirm Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, all making it almost certain she will become the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court.
"Judge Jackson's record and career are exemplary," the West Virginia Democrat said in a statement. "Her wide array of experiences in varying sectors of our judicial system have provided Judge Jackson a unique perspective that will serve her well on our nation's highest court."
Manchin has been a persistent thorn in the side of President Joe Biden's domestic agenda. But neither Manchin nor Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, a Democrat from Arizona, have ever opposed a Biden-nominated judge to any of the nation's lower courts.
Jackson faced a grueling slog of hearings that at times turned hostile, but her confirmation was never viewed as in any serious jeopardy. Thanks to rules changes championed by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Democrats could confirm Jackson without a single Republican vote. But Biden has said throughout the process that he would like Jackson to receive bipartisan support.
Sen. John Thune, the No. 2 Senate Republican, predicted to Politico that Jackson has the potential to receive "a few" GOP votes.
Republican Sens. Lindsey Graham, Lisa Murkowski, and Susan Collins all voted for Jackson's confirmation to the DC Circuit last year, a body often regarded as the second-highest court in the land. But Graham has lambasted the White House for not going with his preferred pick Judge Michelle Childs. At the confirmation hearings, Graham joined Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri in twisting Brown's record on sentencing people convicted on child pornography-related charges.
True to form, Manchin also pointed out that Jackson has one other thing going for her; she likes to spend time in West Virginia.
"Notably, Judge Jackson and her family spend a great deal of time in West Virginia and her deep love of our state and commitment to public service were abundantly clear," he said.
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