Senators express concern the SCOTUS confirmation process is irretrievably broken

As U.S. Supreme Court Justice nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson undergoes grueling confirmation hearing process, there are deep concerns about flawed judicial proceedings and how the process could be irretrievably broken.

Now, multiple senators are reportedly weighing in with their take on the issues. Many of the lawmakers believe the problem grew worse with the 2016 debacle as former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's (R-Ky.) attempted to block former President Barack Obama's judicial nominee. At the time, that was Merrick Garland.

"The Merrick Garland debacle was the point of no return. Once McConnell stole that seat from Obama, I didn’t think there was any way to depoliticize this process,” said Sen. Chris Murphy, (D-Conn). "Something fundamentally broke in this place when Sen. McConnell chose not to give even a hearing to Merrick Garland."

He went on to point out the real issue with McConnell's actions and the disturbing precedent it presents. He emphasized, according to CBS News, that it suggests "a future Supreme Court pick may never be confirmed under a president and Senate run by different parties, which was the basis for the Kentucky Republican’s blockade."

"I shouted this as loud as I could when McConnell made that decision. I said the consequence of McConnell’s decision will be an eventual constitutional crisis,” Murphy said. “And I think Republicans made it absolutely clear that if they have control, they will never confirm a Democrat’s choice for the Supreme Court.

He added, "My fear is that we haven’t come close to the bottom."

On the other side of the political aisle, Republicans are reportedly harboring sense of duty to bring about the same consequences as Democrats alleged did to Reagan-era judicial nominee, Robert Bork.

McConnell recently reflected on the 42-58 bipartisan strike-down of Bork. While that ruling was largely bipartisan, the top-ranking Republican lawmaker argued that "it all began when Democrats 'assassinated' Bork. Today, he said, the Senate is in 'full assertiveness mode' and unwilling to defer to the president on the high court."

During a Punchbowl News event held on Thursday, March 31, McConnell said, "No matter who is in the majority in the Senate, for the foreseeable future, the confirmation process is going to be viewed by senators as a co-responsibility.”

He added, “In other words the president gets to initiate, but we are full partners in the process."