Lawmakers hope for bipartisan support of Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson

WASHINGTON — The head of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Sunday said he hoped Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson would be confirmed with bipartisan support as two Republican senators signaled their openness to considering her nomination.

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), who heads the powerful committee that will vet Jackson’s nomination, told CNN’s "State of the Union" he has spoken with GOP senators "asking them to keep an open mind and to meet with her."

"It is in the best interest not only of the Supreme Court, but of the United States Senate, for this to be bipartisan," Durbin said. "If we can have that kind of support emerge, I think it will be a positive thing for our country."

President Joe Biden, last Friday, formally announced Jackson as his nominee to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer. Jackson, a current federal appellate court judge, who once served as Breyer’s clerk, is the first Black woman to be nominated to the highest bench.

Durbin noted that Jackson previously received bipartisan support when she was nominated for her current judicial post on the U.S. Court of Appeals in D.C. and for prior posts as a U.S. District Court Judge and as vice chair of the United States Sentencing Commission.

"We know her record as of last year; we have to update that and we're ready to go," said Durbin who is pushing for a full confirmation vote to be held before Congress heads for recess on April 8.

Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), appearing before Durbin on CNN, said "yes," he was open to potentially voting in favor of Jackson, even if he voted against her appellate court nomination.

"Look, her nomination and her confirmation would or will be historic, and like anyone nominated by the President of the United States, she deserves a very careful look, a very deep dive, and I will provide fresh eyes to that evaluation, and hope that I will be able to support her in the final analysis," Romney said.

Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), appearing on NBC’s "Meet the Press," said he did not foresee the confirmation hearings for Jackson "will be as partisan as we've seen in the past."

"I think the rest of us on the Republican side are going to be looking at her record, at her qualifications," Portman said. "We don't believe you ought to legislate from the bench. We think the Supreme Court focus ought to be on protecting our rights and following the Constitution, and that's what we'll be looking for."

Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.), the third ranking House Democrat who openly lobbied for U.S. District Court Judge J. Michelle Childs to receive the nomination, said he supported Biden’s final choice in Jackson.

Clyburn, appearing on CBS’ "Face the Nation" said it was critical for Jackson to be confirmed with bipartisan support.

"This is beyond politics," Clyburn said. "This is about the country, our pursuit of a more perfect union … and I would hope that all my Republican friends will look upon it that way."