Headline RoundupMarch 21st, 2022

Ketanji Brown Jackson's Confirmation Hearings Begin

Summary from the AllSides News Team

Senate confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson began Monday amid scrutiny of her judicial record from the political right.

Jackson, 51, was nominated for the lifetime role by President Joe Biden to replace liberal Justice Stephen Breyer, who plans to retire at the end of the current term. She and senators will make opening statements Monday on the arguments for and against her confirmation, and then Jackson will take questions from senators on Tuesday and Wednesday. Witnesses will testify on Thursday, and Democrats hope to confirm her by next month. No Democratic senators have shown opposition to Jackson; some Republicans, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), have framed her as far-left while also showing openness to meeting with her. In the evenly divided Senate, Vice President Kamala Harris would break a tied vote and confirm Jackson to the Supreme Court. If confirmed, Jackson would be the court's first black female justice.

Some coverage from right-rated sources highlighted criticism from Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and others who say Jackson has a history of issuing lenient sentences for child pornography offenses. Left-rated sources focused less on criticism of Jackson's record and more on her nomination's historic nature, and also framed the Senate as likely to confirm her.

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