- GOP Sen. Susan Collins praised Biden's Supreme Court nominee as "impressive."
- Collins met with Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson on Tuesday ahead of her confirmation hearings.
- Collins, a key Republican vote, did not reveal whether she'll vote to confirm Jackson.
Sen. Susan Collins on Tuesday met with President Joe Biden's Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson and called the judge "impressive."
The Maine Republican said in a statement on Tuesday that she had a "lengthy and very productive conversation" with Jackson and thought their meeting "went well."
"We covered a lot of issues. She explained in great depth the methodology that she uses as she approaches the cases that come before her. It's clear that her credentials and the breadth of her experience are impressive," Collins said of Jackson, pointing to the judge's wide-ranging legal background, which includes work in private practice and as a public defender, as well as service on the US Sentencing Commission, and her eight years as a federal district court judge.
Jackson currently serves on the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit, a seat that Biden appointed her to less than a year ago. Collins was one of three Republicans who voted to confirm her to the appeals court, which is widely viewed as the second-most powerful court in the country after the Supreme Court.
Yet despite the praise, Collins didn't declare her support for Jackson nor reveal whether she'll vote to confirm her this time around.
"I will of course await the hearings before the Judiciary Committee before making a decision, but I found today's session to be very helpful," Collins said.
Jackson is meeting with several Republican and Democratic lawmakers ahead of her Supreme Court confirmation hearings, which will begin on March 21, according to Senate Judiciary Committee chair Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois.
The White House consulted with both Republicans and Democrats ahead of Jackson's nomination, eyeing bipartisan support for her confirmation. So far, no Republicans have publicly said they plan to vote for Jackson.
Some Republicans, including Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, have criticized Biden's choice. Graham favored another rumored contender, South Carolina district judge J. Michelle Childs.