During Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s confirmation hearing, Republicans were seen interrogating the Supreme Court nominee. Ahead of the vote on the nominee expected in April, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer acknowledged the GOP’s harsh questioning of Jackson.
During an interview with Blavity, Schumer agreed that Jackson seemed to be “treated differently than so many of the previous people who came before the court.”
“I think she should have been treated with extra respect and extra dignity, given the historic nature of this nomination. But unfortunately, at least some Republicans did not do that,” he told Blavity.
While the majority leader said he’s “optimistic” about the Senate’s vote on her confirmation to the Supreme Court, he’s also confident in her background and her ability to contribution to the highest court in the country.
“You read her writings and her opinions and things like that, she is just brilliant,” he said, adding that she “belongs on the court.”
“If anything, the hearing showed that because, despite the nastiness of the questions, despite the fact that they asked her things that they never asked anybody else, she kept her poise. She kept her strength, she kept her good humor,” Schumer added.
During the hearing, Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., defended the judge and praised her “grit and grace,” as Blavity previously reported.
“You got here how every Black woman in America who’s gotten anywhere has done … like Ginger Rogers said: ‘I did everything Fred Astaire did, but backwards and in heels,'” Booker said, according to HuffPost.
Despite Jackson remaining poised during the week-long hearing and Booker, in addition to other senators, praising her demeanor, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said he wouldn’t support her confirmation.
“After studying the nominee’s record and watching her performance this week, I cannot and will not support Judge Jackson for a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court,” McConnell said, The Hill reports.
Schumer intends to vote to confirm Jackson as the first Black woman on the Supreme Court. The Senate Judiciary Committee is now scheduled to vote on April 4, according to The Washington Post.
Looking ahead to the impact of the historic nomination, Schumer said, “This should be a moment of exaltation for all Americans.”
