URBANDALE, Iowa — Sen. Joni Ernst voted against Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson's confirmation to the United States Supreme Court and explained that decision this week at a stop in Urbandale while on her 99-county tour.
Ernst claimed it came down to Brown Jackson not being able to explain her judicial philosophy.
"She instead stated she doesn't have a philosophy. She has a methodology. Well, I could have a methodology too, but that doesn't qualify me for the Supreme Court," Ernst said.
Brown Jackson had a closed-door meeting with Ernst before her confirmation vote. She met with nearly all U.S. senators in one-on-one settings.
During their meeting, Ernst said Brown Jackson was not able to give a number of answers to the Iowa senator's questions. Ernst also claimed the U.S. Court of Appeals judge could not explain how she arrived at certain decisions.
Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat from Minnesota and a member of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, also asked Brown Jackson to characterize her judicial philosophy.
Brown Jackson, in a written response, said:
"My judicial philosophy is to approach all cases with professional integrity, meaning strict adherence to the rule of law, keeping an open mind, and deciding each issue in a transparent, straightforward manner, without bias or any preconceived notion of how the matter is going to turn out."
Iowa's senior senator, Chuck Grassley, also voted no on Brown Jackson's confirmation.
Only three Republicans voted in favor of Brown Jackson's confirmation: Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah.