Sen. Chuck Grassley, the highest ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, congratulated Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson on her nomination to the Supreme Court. 

“The judgments of a justice can affect the lives of every American in perpetuity. It’s critical that any such nominee, including Judge Jackson, receive the most thorough and rigorous vetting. Our review will be as fair and respectful as it is complete and comprehensive,” Grassley said in a prepared statement shared on Friday. “That is what this process demands and what the American people expect.”

Grassley did not say whether he plans to vote to confirm Jackson. He said he will make his determination based on the experience, qualifications, temperament and judicial philosophy, and that he looks forward to meeting Jackson in person soon. 

Iowa’s senior U.S. senator served as the chair from 2015 to 2019, where he oversaw the confirmation of Justice Neil Gorsuch and Justice Brett Kavanaugh during the Trump administration. 

Grassley drew the ire of Democrats in 2016 when he refused to hold hearings for now-Attorney General Merrick Garland, who President Barack Obama had nominated for a Supreme Court seat. Republicans said then they did not want to hold hearings during an election year, but they reversed course in 2020 when they confirmed Justice Amy Coney Barrett. 

Biden announced Jackson as his Supreme Court pick on Friday. She would replace Justice Stephen Breyer, who is retiring. Jackson previously served as a law clerk for Breyer, and currently serves as a judge on Washington, D.C.’s federal appellate court. 

In his announcement ,Biden said Jackson has been confirmed in a bipartisan fashion by the U.S. Senate three times. 

I sought a nominee with the strongest credentials, record, character, and dedication to the rule of law. That’s why I’m excited to nominate Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to serve on the United States Supreme Court. pic.twitter.com/iGHLqqRAD0

— President Biden (@POTUS) February 25, 2022

If confirmed, Jackson will be the first Black woman to serve on the nation’s highest court. 

Sen. Joni Ersnt, R-Iowa, also released a statement on the nomination, saying the American people deserve a fair, respectful, and thorough review. 

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“The Supreme Court plays a fundamental role in the defense of our Constitution and in the protection of our rights and liberties,” Ernst said. “ Justices must be impartial, fair, and dedicated to interpreting the text of the Constitution and upholding the rule of law—not bending to the political winds of the moment.”  

Attorney General Tom Miller, one of Iowa’s few statewide elected Democrats, congratulated Biden in nominating Jackson in a prepared statement. 

“Like Justice Breyer, she is pragmatic and thoughtful, and she has won praise from both parties for her integrity and intellect. The Senate should confirm Judge Jackson,” he said.