US Democrats pin hopes on historic Supreme Court nominee
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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 a vote Monday to advance her nomination.
Barring any unforeseen hiccups, President Joe Biden's 51-year-old pick to replace retiring Justice Stephen Breyer will break a 12-year drought for Democratic nominees being confirmed to the bench.
She will also be just the third Black justice in the court's 233-year history, and the Democrat leadership, worried about Biden's low approval ratings, are hoping to point to her confirmation as a historic achievement heading into November's midterm elections.
The Senate Judiciary Committee will meet at 10 am (1400 GMT) for the first of several procedural votes culminating in a final vote later in the week.
The outcome is expected to be a 11-11 tie along party lines, forcing a vote of the full Senate later in the day to "discharge" the nomination out of the committee stage.
There will be another vote on Thursday to wrap up debate before a final vote -- the main event that actually decides Jackson's future -- on that day or on Friday.
Republican Senator Susan Collins has already announced her support for Jackson's nomination, so Democrats head into the process with a tiny majority.
"What I know is she will get enough votes to get confirmed," White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain said Sunday on ABC.
"In the end, I suppose, that's the only thing that matters. But I wish more Republicans would look at the case here, look at the record and vote to confirm Judge Jackson."
Attention is on two other Republicans still in play -- Mitt Romney and Lisa Murkowski, and which way they go in the "discharge" vote Monday could be a signal of where they go at the end of the week.
Senators are due to spend the whole day talking about the nomination.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has pushed behind closed doors for his members to oppose Jackson, and at least 47 appear highly likely to vote against her.
Republicans are again expected to attack Jackson's sentencing record in child pornography cases -- which is in the mainstream among federal judges -- as overly lenient.