Sen. Pat Toomey to vote against Judge Jackson’s Supreme Court nomination

U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Lehigh Valley, released a statement on Sunday evening announcing his decision to oppose President Biden’s Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson.

“While Judge Jackson undoubtedly has an impressive educational and professional background, her inability to define her own judicial philosophy makes it difficult to understand how she might approach the most important cases facing the nation today, tomorrow, and far into the future,” Toomey said. “Rather than confine herself to one philosophy, Judge Jackson has only offered a ‘methodology’ that is ultimately unhelpful for determining what her foundation is for interpreting statutory and Constitutional text.

“Judge Jackson’s history of judicial activism is also highly concerning, and has led to at least two unanimous decisions by separate panels of the D.C. Circuit overturning her rulings for reaching beyond the scope of her authority.

“In addition, the fact Judge Jackson has consistently imposed sentences for offenses related to child pornography not only far below those recommended under the Sentencing Guidelines, but also below the recommendations of prosecutors and the sentences imposed by some of her peers on the federal judiciary, is baffling to me.

“Due to Judge Jackson’s admitted lack of judicial philosophy, her concerning judicial record, and the likelihood she will continue to reach beyond the limited role of the judiciary, I cannot support her appointment to the Court.”

Another retiring GOP senator is a NO on Judge Jackson: Pat Toomey, who said tonight: "Her inability to define her own judicial philosophy makes it difficult to understand how she might approach the most important cases facing the nation."

— Manu Raju (@mkraju) April 3, 2022

The Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to vote Monday on Jackson’s confirmation; the full Senate has yet to schedule a vote. All 11 Democrats on the panel are expected to vote for her, while all 11 of Republicans are expected to oppose her, according to the New York Post. Only one Republican, Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, has come out in support of Jackson.

A number of Republicans, including Roy Blunt of Missouri and Ben Sasse of Nebraska, have publicly said in the last few days that they will vote against the nominee.