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Manchin: “I intend to vote” for Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson

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Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) may have decided whether Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson will become the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court. After four days of nomination hearings with the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sen. Manchin released a statement Friday, saying, “I have determined I intend to vote for her nomination to serve on the Supreme Court.”

“I am confident Judge Jackson is supremely qualified and has the disposition necessary to serve as our nation’s next Supreme Court Justice,” Sen. Manchin said in the 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’s support has proven to be key on a variety of President Joe Biden’s priorities. His lack of support has played a significant role in the following Biden administration failures:

While he has butted heads with President Biden, Manchin has backed all of Biden’s judicial nominees so far. His support of Jackson indicates she will have the support of all 50 Senate Democrats. That would guarantee her confirmation, with Vice President Kamala Harris breaking a tie if 50 Senate Republicans oppose her nomination.

Manchin’s announcement is also important given it does not appear Jackson’s appointment to the Supreme Court is going to get much support from Republicans. Just hours after the hearings wrapped up, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said he would not vote for Jackson.

“The only real body of evidence before the Senate is her record as a trial judge,” Sen. McConnell said on the Senate floor Thursday. “Those rulings communicate very little about a judge’s approach to big-picture questions of interpretation. But to make matters worse, Judge Jackson declined to answer basic questions about those rulings.”

If Jackson is appointed to the Supreme Court, she and Justice Clarence Thomas would be the only two Black members on the court. On Friday, the Supreme Court announced Thomas has been discharged from the hospital he had been saying for the last week. According to a Supreme Court news release published this past Sunday, “Thomas was admitted to Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington, D.C…. after experiencing flu-like symptoms.”

“He underwent tests, was diagnosed with an infection, and is being treated with intravenous antibiotics,” the Court said Sunday. “His symptoms are abating, he is resting comfortably, and he expects to be released from the hospital in a day or two.”

The Court has not said why it took a week for Thomas to be discharged.

Jimmie Johnson: THIS TWEET — MAY HAVE JUST LOCKED UP JUDGE KETANJI BROWN JACKSON’S SPOT AS THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN TO SERVE ON THE SUPREME COURT.
WEST VIRGINIA SENATOR JOE MANCHIN — SENDING OUT A THREE-PART STATEMENT SAYING HE PLANS ON VOTING TO CONFIRM JACKSON NEXT MONTH.
IN THE STATEMENT — MANCHIN SAYS QUOTE “I AM CONFIDENT JACKSON IS SUPREMELY QUALIFIED AND HAS THE DISPOSITION NECESSARY TO SERVE AS OUR NATION’S NEXT SUPREME COURT JUSTICE.”
AS WE’VE NOTED MULTIPLE TIMES BEFORE — IN A 50-50 SENATE — MANCHIN’S SUPPORT — OR LACK THEREOF — IS VITAL ON MAJORITY VOTES.
HE HAS BEEN ABLE TO NEARLY SINGLE-HANDEDLY KILL DEMOCRATIC PRIORITIES — FROM THE BUILD BACK BETTER ACT TO CHANGING THE USE OF THE FILIBUSTER.
MANCHIN’S ANNOUNCEMENT COMES ON THE SAME DAY JUSTICE CLARENCE THOMAS WAS RELEASED FROM THE HOSPITAL AFTER EXPERIENCING FLU-LIKE SYMPTOMS.
THOMAS WAS TREATED WITH ANTIBIOTICS LAST WEEKEND — AND WAS EXPECTED TO BE DISCHARGED MONDAY OR TUESDAY.
THE SUPREME COURT DID NOT SAY WHY HE WAS KEPT IN THE HOSPITAL THE EXTRA DAYS.