Senator Mitt Romney was alone on the Senate floor on Thursday afternoon, surrounded by empty desks.
He was the lone Republican present to applaud Ketanji Brown Jackson’s confirmation to the Supreme Court.
Sen. Mike Lee joined other Republicans in departing the chamber as Romney clapped.
Why did Mitt Romney vote Yes for Ketanji Brown Jackson?
Romney was one of three Republicans who voted in favor of Jackson, who will be the first Black woman to serve on the nation’s highest court, alongside all 50 Democrats.
Lee was one of 47 Republicans who voted against the bill.
It was unsurprising that the senators from Utah split their vote.
On February 25, President Joe Biden announced that Jackson would be nominated to succeed Breyer.
After 41 days, the final vote for her confirmation was held. Former President Donald Trump’s nomination of now-Justice Amy Coney Barrett was expedited, with only 30 days between her nomination and a final confirmation vote, which Lee backed.
