U.S. Senate panel prepares to vote on Biden's Supreme Court pick Jackson

The Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday was poised to vote on President Joe Biden's U.S. Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson in the next hurdle on her journey toward confirmation, with a potential tie looming on a panel evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans.

Even with the possible 11-11 committee deadlock, Jackson's nomination still would proceed to the full Senate, with Majority Leader Chuck Schumer already saying the chamber was on track to confirm the federal appellate court judge to the lifetime post before its planned Easter recess begins on Friday.

If confirmed, Jackson would become the first Black woman to serve on the top U.S. judiciary body, joining the liberal bloc on a court with a 6-3 conservative majority. During her confirmation hearing before the panel last month, Biden's fellow Democrats expressed support for Jackson while Republicans signaled opposition with a spree of hostile questions.

Democratic Senator Dick Durbin, the committee's chairman, noted in his opening statement ahead of the vote that the panel voted to confirm Jackson to three previous posts. Durbin said Jackson has impeccable qualifications and he lamented what he called baseless attacks by some Republicans.