Ketanji Brown Jackson Has Secured One GOP Vote

Ketanji Brown Jackson will have the backing of at least one Republican senator. Susan Collins of Maine confirmed that she has "decided to support the confirmation of Judge Jackson to be a member of the Supreme Court." The New York Times reports that the GOP senator made up her mind after a second one-on-one with Jackson on Tuesday afternoon. She emerged from that meeting assured that Jackson would not "[bend] the law to meet a personal preference." The Times reports Collins' decision will not just allow President Biden "to claim some degree of bipartisanship," but will also "avoid the spectacle" of Vice President Harris having to cast a tie-breaking vote, something that has never occurred with a Supreme Court nominee.

Whether the vote will end up different than 51-49 is unclear, but the Hill reports Lisa Murkowski and Mitt Romney are seen as the most likely Republicans to join Collins in the 'yay' column. Romney on Tuesday told CNN he likely won't make his decision until the day of the vote. Where his head is at: "She's a very impressive person. She's intelligent, capable, she's a lovely person as well and I think a great deal of her. But delving into differences on judicial philosophy and her approach to the law is something that I'm going to keep working on." (More Ketanji Brown Jackson stories.)