Jen Psaki questions Sen. Lindsey Graham's opposition to Ketanji Brown Jackson after he supported her last year: 'She has the exact same credentials'
- Jen Psaki questioned Sen. Lindsey Graham's opposition to Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson.
- Graham previously voted to confirm Jackson to a seat on the second-most powerful court in the country.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Tuesday weighed in on Sen. Lindsey Graham's opposition to Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson after he supported her previous judicial nomination last year.
"What exactly has changed since he voted to support her just recently — relatively recently?" Psaki said of Graham when asked during her press briefing about his opposition. "She has the exact same credentials, exact same qualifications."
"I wouldn't say the president is spending a lot of time thinking about it, but I would say it's a good question to pose to Senator Graham," Psaki added when asked if President Joe Biden was "disappointed" with Graham's decision.
Graham revealed last week that he intends to vote against Jackson's nomination to the Supreme Court.
"Her record is overwhelming in its lack of a steady judicial philosophy and a tendency to achieve outcomes in spite of what the law requires or common sense would dictate," the South Carolina Republican said on the Senate floor.
The announcement came after Graham, along with several other Republicans, grilled Jackson on her sentencing record and her judicial philosophy during her confirmation hearings last month. Before the hearings, Graham had also publicly pushed for South Carolina federal district judge J. Michelle Childs to get the Supreme Court nomination, and criticized Biden's choice in Jackson.
Graham's opposition contrasts with his support for Jackson a year ago. He was one of three Republicans who voted to confirm Jackson to her current seat on the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit, widely viewed as the second most powerful court in the country. The other two GOP senators were Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, both of whom have said they plan to confirm Jackson to the Supreme Court.
A spokesperson for Graham told Insider on Tuesday that consideration for the Supreme Court is different from the lower federal court.
"Sen. Graham has been clear," the spokesperson said. "New job. New standard."
Graham expressed that position on Monday as the Senate Judiciary Committee met to consider Jackson's nomination. The committee voted 11-11 on Jackson, with all Democrats in support and all Republicans against. Graham later voted against advancing Jackson's nomination out of the committee on Monday night.
"The Supreme Court is different from the circuit court," Graham said. "So I didn't think twice about not voting for her. But now that you're talking about the Supreme Court, you're making policy, not just bound by it."
Jackson's final confirmation vote before the full Senate is expected later this week. She's been guaranteed the support of all Senate Democrats, joined by Collins, Murkowski and Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah. If approved, Jackson will become the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court.