All eyes at the moment are on Democratic Senator Krysten Sinema of Arizona forward of the Senate's vote on Supreme Court docket nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson's affirmation.

Sinema might be the final impediment for Jackson after Senator Joe Manchin introduced on Friday he intends to vote "sure" on Jackon's appointment to the bench.

The 2 reasonable Democrats have opposed a few of President Joe Biden's key priorities and have the facility to sink Jackson's nomination within the 50-50 cut up Senate, the place a easy majority is all that is wanted to substantiate a Supreme Court docket justice.

Manchin described Jackson's document and profession as "exemplary."

"After assembly together with her, contemplating her document, and carefully monitoring her testimony and questioning earlier than the Senate Judiciary Committee this week, I've decided I intend to vote for her nomination to serve on the Supreme Court docket," the West Virginia senator mentioned in an announcement.

Newsweek reached out to Sinema's workplace for remark however her staff mentioned that the senator does not preview her votes.

The excellent news for Democrats is that Sinema, like Manchin, has been a dependable supporter of Biden's judicial picks to date. The 2 didn't vote in opposition to any of the 42 federal judges who had been confirmed by the Senate final 12 months.

Sinema met with Jackson on March 10, describing their assembly as "productive."

"As I promised Arizonans, I'm rigorously contemplating Choose Jackson's nomination," Sinema mentioned in an announcement on the time. "In the present day, we had a really productive assembly and I welcomed listening to instantly her perception within the significance of an impartial judiciary, her judicial philosophy, and her strategy to precedent. I sit up for watching her nomination hearings forward of a Senate vote."

KBJ Has 1 Obstacle After Manchin Backing
All eyes are on Senator Krysten Sinema forward of the affirmation vote on Supreme Court docket nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson after Senator Joe Manchin introduced he intends to vote sure. On this picture, Jackson is sworn in previous to testifying throughout a Senate Judiciary Committee affirmation listening to on her nomination to change into an Affiliate Justice of the US Supreme Court docket on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., March 21, 2022.MANDEL NGAN/AFP by way of GETTY IMAGES

Jackson, if confirmed, would be the first Black girl to serve on the Supreme Court docket in its 233-year historical past.

Jackson confronted affirmation hearings within the Senate Judiciary Committee this week, the place she was questioned on her document, her judicial philosophy and her earlier work as a public defender.

After the hearings wrapped on Thursday, Senate Minority Chief Mitch McConnell formally introduced he could not assist her. The Republican chief cited her solutions to questions on including seats to the Supreme Court docket as a part of the explanation for his resolution.

It stays unclear if Jackson will see any GOP assist. When she was confirmed to a federal appeals court docket final 12 months, three Republican senators supported her: Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski and Lindsey Graham. However Graham sparred with Jackson throughout her affirmation hearings and had publicly lobbied for Choose J. Michelle Childs to be nominated by Biden to interchange retiring Affiliate Justice Stephen Breyer.

The Senate Judiciary Committee is predicted to vote to advance Jackson's nomination by April 4. The matter will then go to the total Senate, the place Majority Chief Chuck Schumer plans to have a vote earlier than the Easter recess.