US Democrats pin hopes on historic Supreme Court nominee

US Supreme Court candidate Ketanji Brown Jackson stands on the threshold of making history this week as the first Black woman appointed to the nation's highest judicial bench after senators voted Monday to move her one step closer to confirmation.

Barring any unforeseen hiccups, President Joe Biden's pick to replace retiring Justice Stephen Breyer will break a 12-year drought for Democratic nominees being placed on the court.

Jackson, 51, will also be only the third Black justice in its history, and Democrats -- worried about Biden's low approval ratings -- are keen for a headline-grabbing achievement to take into November's midterm elections.

"I've often thought that if you had to choose one place to stand and witness the march of America -- the noble and ignoble struggles of our democracy -- I would seek out a chair in this room," Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Dick Durbin said.

"Today's vote is such a moment. This committee's action today is nothing less than historic."

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell had pressed privately for his members to oppose Jackson, and at least 47 of the 50 Republicans in the upper chamber look almost certain to reject her.

The Kentucky senator appeared to be getting his way Monday when the panel was split eveninly with all 11 Democrats backing Jackson and all 11 Republicans opposed.

The deadlock made a further vote of the full Senate necessary to press ahead with the confirmation, and Jackson won that comfortably -- setting her on an easy glide path to a definitive "yes" from the full Senate on Thursday or Friday.

It was originally expected to be among the closest confirmation battles in history but one moderate Republican had already come out in support of Jackson and two more threw their lot in with the Florida native on Monday, all but guaranteeing her confirmation.

White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain voiced frustration to ABC on Sunday that there was not more Republican support for the milestone appointment.

"What I know is she will get enough votes to get confirmed," he said. "In the end, I suppose, that's the only thing that matters."

Republicans in Monday's committee hearing again attacked Jackson as too lenient in child pornography cases, despite her sentencing record being in the mainstream among federal judges.

Senator John Cornyn criticized Jackson's "unwillingness to disclose her judicial philosophy," while his fellow Texas Republican Ted Cruz said she would prove "the most extreme and the furthest-left justice ever to serve on the United States Supreme Court."

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