U.S. Senator Richard Shelby released a statement Friday announcing he will not support the President Joe Biden's nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court. Shelby's announcement comes in the midst of several U.S. senators releasing their decisions on whether or not to support Jackson.
“Yesterday, I had the opportunity to meet with Judge Jackson," Shelby stated in the press release. "As with any nominee to the Supreme Court, I believe it is important to carefully consider their qualifications and credentials, including their judicial philosophy, temperament, and prior decisions as a judge. We had a candid discussion in which I questioned her about my concerns, such as her judicial philosophy, position on court-packing, and prior sentencing record as a judge. While I enjoyed meeting Judge Jackson, her answers did not sufficiently alleviate my concerns. As such, I am unable to support her nomination to the Supreme Court.”
Shelby joins a long list of Republican senators who have vocally opposed Jackson's nomination and are expected to vote against her when the time comes. The group is led by Mitch McConnell (Ky.), Ted Cruz (Tx.), Marco Rubio (Fla.) and most recently Lindsey Graham (S.C.).
The lone Republican senator to come out in support of Jackson so far is Susan Collins of Maine.