Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, addressed senators on the first day of confirmation hearings on Monday, telling the lawmakers she would “decide cases from a neutral posture” if they approve her nomination to the high court.  Jackson told members of the Senate Judiciary Committee: “Members of this committee: If I am confirmed, I commit to you that I will work productively to support and defend the Constitution and the grand experiment of American democracy that has endured over these past 246 years. During this hearing, I hope that you will see how much I love our country and the Constitution, and the rights that make us free.”

Jackson sat silently for most of the 4.5-hour session as the 22 committee members delivered opening statements and previewed their lines of inquiry for the two days of questioning ahead. Republicans and Democrats lauded Jackson for shattering barriers with her nomination.  Many GOP members of the Judiciary panel pledged to examine her judicial philosophy and views of the Supreme Court.

Jackson’s four-day confirmation hearings begin just 24 days after being nominated to replace retiring Justice Stephen Breyer on the Supreme Court.  Currently a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, Jackson served on the federal district court in Washington for eight years and was a member of the U.S. Sentencing Commission. If appointed to the Supreme Court, Jackson will be the second-youngest justice at 51 years old.

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