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Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Mitt Romney say they will vote to confirm Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson鈥檚 historic elevation to the Supreme Court, giving President Joe Biden鈥檚 nominee a burst of bipartisan support and all but assuring she鈥檒l become the first Black female justice.

The senators from Alaska and Utah announced their decisions Monday night ahead of a procedural vote to advance the nomination and as Democrats pressed to confirm Judge Jackson by the end of the week. GOP Sen. Susan Collins of Maine announced last week that she would back Judge Jackson, noting her 鈥渟tellar qualifications鈥� as a federal judge, public defender, and member of the United States Sentencing Commission.

All three Republicans said they did not expect to agree with all of Judge Jackson鈥檚 decisions, but they found her extremely well qualified.

Senator Romney said Judge Jackson 鈥渕ore than meets the standard of excellence and integrity.鈥� Senator Murkowski said she will 鈥渂ring to the Supreme Court a range of experience from the courtroom that few can match given her background in litigation.鈥�

With three Republicans supporting her in the 50-50 split Senate, Judge Jackson is on a glide path to confirmation and on the brink of making history as the third Black justice and only the sixth woman in the court鈥檚 more than 200-year history. Beyond the historic element, Democrats have cited her deep experience in nine years on the federal bench and the chance for her to become the first former public defender on the court.

Both Senator Collins and Senator Murkowski said they believed that the Senate nomination process has become broken as it has become more partisan in the past several decades.

Senator Murkowski, who is up for reelection this year, said her decision partly rests 鈥渙n my rejection of the corrosive politicization of the review process for Supreme Court nominees, which, on both sides of the aisle, is growing worse and more detached from reality by the year.鈥�

After the vote, Senator Murkowski said she had 鈥渁ssumed a level of risk鈥� but 鈥渢here鈥檚 three of us that found ourselves in this place where I believe the strength, qualifications of the candidate are such that are appropriate for the court.鈥�

Mr. Biden nominated Judge Jackson to replace retiring Justice Stephen Breyer, who will step down after the court鈥檚 session ends this summer. Mr. Biden has sought bipartisan backing for his pick, making repeated calls to senators and inviting Republicans to the White House. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Monday that administration officials would work the phones until the last minute to maximize support.

鈥淛udge Jackson will bring extraordinary qualifications, deep experience and intellect, and a rigorous judicial record to the Supreme Court,鈥� Mr. Biden tweeted earlier Monday. 鈥淪he deserves to be confirmed as the next justice.鈥�

The Senate鈥檚 53-47 vote Monday evening was to 鈥渄ischarge鈥� Judge Jackson鈥檚 nomination from the Senate Judiciary Committee after the panel deadlocked, 11-11, on whether to send the nomination to the Senate floor.

The committee vote, split along party lines, was the first deadlock on a Supreme Court nomination in three decades.

The Judiciary committee鈥檚 top Republican, Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, said he opposed Judge Jackson鈥檚 nomination because 鈥渟he and I have fundamental, different views on the role of judges and the role that they should play in our system of government.鈥�

The committee hadn鈥檛 deadlocked since 1991, when Mr. Biden was chairman and a motion to send the nomination of current Justice Clarence Thomas to the floor with a 鈥渇avorable鈥� recommendation failed on a 7-7 vote. The committee then voted to send the nomination to the floor without a recommendation, meaning it could still be brought up for a vote.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky set the tone for most of his party last week when he said he 鈥渃annot and will not鈥� support Judge Jackson, citing GOP concerns raised in hearings about her sentencing record and her backing from liberal advocacy groups.

Republicans on the Judiciary panel continued their push Monday to paint Judge Jackson as soft on crime, defending their repeated questions about her sentencing on sex crimes.

鈥淨uestions are not attacks,鈥� said Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, one of several GOP senators on the panel who hammered the point in the hearings two weeks ago.

Judge Jackson pushed back on the GOP narrative, declaring that 鈥渘othing could be further from the truth鈥� and explaining her reasoning in detail. Democrats said she was in line with other judges in her decisions. And on Monday they criticized their GOP counterparts鈥� questioning.

鈥淵ou could try and create a straw man here, but it does not hold,鈥� said New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker.

The questioning was filled with 鈥渁bsurdities of disrespect,鈥� said Senator Booker, who also is Black. He said he will 鈥渞ejoice鈥� when Judge Jackson is confirmed.

Derrick Johnson, president and chief executive officer of the NAACP, expressed disappointment with the committee tie, even as he noted that Judge Jackson had cleared an important hurdle. He said 鈥渉istory will be watching鈥� during the full Senate vote later this week.

This story was reported by The Associated Press. Becky聽Bohrer reported from Juneau, Alaska. AP writers Zeke Miller, Farnoush Amiri, Lisa Mascaro, and Josh Boak in Washington contributed.