How to watch Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson’s confirmation hearings

Washington – Candidate for the Supreme Court Ketanji Brown Jackson she will appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee next week for it confirmation hearingsduring which he will testify publicly about his qualifications to serve on the nation’s highest court.

The hearings, which are expected to last four days, will begin 24 days after President Biden announced the historic selection of Jackson to replace retired Stephen Breyer on the Supreme Court. With the nomination of Mr. Biden, Jackson became the first black woman to be selected for the Supreme Court, and if confirmed by the Senate, divided equally, she will be the first black woman to serve in the Supreme Court.

The president’s announcement marked the beginning Jackson confirmation process, and has spent the month so far meeting behind closed doors with Democratic and Republican senators. But hearings starting Monday will give Jackson a chance to publicly explain his decisions over his nearly nine years at the federal bank, how he handles cases and what the Supreme Court’s role is.

Jackson’s incorporation into the Supreme Court will not upset his ideological balance, but at 51, he is positioned to serve for decades.

With Democrats controlling 50 Senate seats and Vice President Kamala Harris breaking the tie votes, Jackson can be confirmed without Republican support, and Democrats expect the Senate to hold its final vote before it is interrupted for a recess. two weeks on April 8th.

• Issues that Republican senators may focus on during Ketanji Brown Jackson Supreme Court confirmation hearings

But the White House and Democratic leaders expect the Senate to approve his nomination with the support of both sides. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin, an Illinois Democrat, estimated that half a dozen Republicans could vote to confirm Jackson, and some Republican senators have suggested they are open to doing so.

Three Republicans, Senators Susan Collins of Maine, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, supported Jackson’s nomination to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. last year. Durbin told reporters this month that part of his call to Republicans who opposed his confirmation at the DC Circuit is that his confirmation would make history.

Jackson’s confirmation hearings will be four days. On Monday, committee members and Jackson will have 10 minutes each to make initial statements, and will be presented by outside witnesses, who have five minutes each to speak.

Then there will be two days of questions from senators in Jackson. On Tuesday, members will have 30 minutes each to ask questions and on Wednesday they will receive 20 minutes each for a second round. Also Wednesday, the committee will meet for a closed-door session to discuss the FBI’s Jackson background investigation, which is standard for Supreme Court candidates.

On the last day, the committee will hear from the American Bar Association, which evaluates the qualifications of candidates for the federal bank and external witnesses. Witnesses and senators will have five minutes each for statements and questions, respectively.

Jackson has appeared before the Judiciary Committee three times before: as a nominee for the U.S. Sentencing Commission and when she was selected for the federal district court and the Washington Court of Appeals. It was confirmed with bipartisan support for each seat.

In the run-up to Jackson’s confirmation, Republicans have spent two years working as an assistant federal public defender and on the Convictions Commission, alleging that her nomination is part of a broader push by Mr. Biden to make the federal judiciary “softer.” on crime “.

But Jackson has the backing of numerous law enforcement groups, including the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the Fraternal Order of Police, dozens of former law enforcement officers, and 23 Democratic Attorneys General. .

Updated 7 m ago

How to view Ketanji Brown Jackson’s confirmation hearings