Earlier this week, U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Tuscaloosa) met with U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, President Joe Biden's pick to succeed outgoing U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Stephen Breyer.
The meeting with Shelby was one of many meetings Jackson had with U.S. Senators, part of a custom for Supreme Court nominees.
Jackson's guide throughout this process is Alabama's own former U.S. Sen. Doug Jones (D-Mountain Brook).
In a statement issued on Friday, Shelby explained his criteria for Supreme Court nominees and said Brown did not "sufficiently alleviate" his concerns. Therefore, he said she did not earn his support for confirmation.
"Yesterday, I had the opportunity to meet with Judge Jackson," Shelby said. "As with any nominee to the Supreme Court, I believe it is important to carefully consider their qualifications and credentials, including their judicial philosophy, temperament and prior decisions as a judge. We had a candid discussion in which I questioned her about my concerns, such as her judicial philosophy, position on court-packing and prior sentencing record as a judge.
"While I enjoyed meeting Judge Jackson, her answers did not sufficiently alleviate my concerns. As such, I am unable to support her nomination to the Supreme Court."
A floor vote on Jackson's nomination is expected before the end of April.
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