President Joe Biden nominated federal appellate Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to serve as the 116th Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court. If confirmed, Jackson would make history by becoming the first Black woman to serve as a justice in the nation’s highest court.
Biden’s decision came after a month-long search following Justice Stephen Breyer’s retirement from the Supreme Court. The vacancy was rumored to be filled by a Black woman following one of the president’s former campaign promises made back in his 2020 run for president. In the end, Biden chose Judge Jackson from the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia circuit.
On February 24, Biden, alongside the first African-American and first woman Vice President Kamala Harris, introduced Jackson as his nominee saying, “For far too long, our government, our courts haven’t looked like America,“ he continued by saying, “I believe that it’s time that we have a court that reflects the full talents and greatness of our nation with extraordinary qualifications, and that we inspire all young people to believe that they can one day serve their country at the highest level.“
Biden called Jackson a “proven consensus builder, an accomplished lawyer, a distinguished jurist.” He also added that he “looked for someone like Justice Breyer who has a pragmatic understanding that the law must work for the American people.“
Jackson, who had been considered the front runner for the vacancy for most of Biden’s deliberation, said in a public statement, “I must begin these very brief remarks by thanking God for delivering me to this point in my professional journey. My life has been blessed beyond measure and I do know now that one can only come this far by faith.”
She continues by saying, “Among my many blessings, and indeed the very first, is the fact that I was born in this great country,” she then adds, “The United States of America is the greatest beacon of hope and democracy the world is ever known. I was also blessed from the early days to have had a supportive and loving family. My mother and father, who have been married for 54 years, are at their home in Florida right now and I know that they could not be more proud.”
Jackson also payed tribute to the first Black woman to serve as a federal judge when accepting her nomination by saying, “Today I probably stand on Judge Motley‘s shoulders, sharing not only her birthday but also her steadfast and courageous commitment to equal justice under law. Judge Motley‘s life and career have been a true inspiration to me as I have pursued this professional path.“
Jackson, 51, is a Harvard graduate and the daughter of two school teachers. She had spent the last year as the judge of the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia circuit. Before that she served eight years as a federal district judge in Washington and even earlier before that working as a Supreme Court clerk for Justice Breyer himself.
This choice will change the demographic makeup of the court, however won’t change the ideological make up of the court. The court currently has six conservative justices and three liberal justices, with Justice Breyer making up 1/3 of the liberal justices. Jackson, a liberal leaning judge, will not make a dent in the court’s majority.
With the announcement of her nomination, all eyes are now turned to the Senate where Biden‘s party, Democrats, holds the majority. Unlike most pieces of major legislation, confirming a Supreme Court justice only takes 50 votes from the Senate. Democrats plus tiebreaker Harris holds just enough power to pass her confirmation without bipartisan support, but the president is hoping that with Jackson’s history of bipartisanship, others will support her confirmation to the Supreme Court so she will also pass with at least the same level of bipartisan support.
Jackson will begin meetings with lawmakers on Capitol Hill next week, with Senate Democrats hoping to have a vote confirming Jackson to the court by mid April.