Senate

GOP Sen. Rick Scott signals he is willing to consider voting for Jackson

Republican Sen. Rick Scott (Fla.) signaled he is willing to consider voting for President Biden’s Supreme Court nominee, Ketanji Brown Jackson, in an interview airing Sunday on “Full Court Press with Greta Van Susteren.”

Scott said he is looking to meet Jackson and discuss how she sees the role of the judiciary branch.

“Do you understand you’re not the legislative branch, your job is to interpret the law, enforce the law, but not make new law? And so, that’s what I’ll be asking her. And on all judges, that’s the only thing I really care about. Are you going to do that? And are you going to be humble?” Scott said in the interview.

He said if Jackson proves to him that she would stick to interpreting the law and not seek to make new laws from the bench, he would vote for her to be confirmed.

If you look at her background, absolutely. If I can look at her background and feel very comfortable. But my standard when I was governor is it’s your responsibility to prove to me that you’re going to be somebody that’s going to interpret the law and not make new law,” Scott said when asked if he would vote to confirm Jackson if she meets his standard. 

To be confirmed to the Supreme Court, Jackson must be approved by a majority of the currently evenly divided Senate, with Vice President Harris potentially serving as a tiebreaking vote.