Biden vows to nominate Black woman to Supreme Court as Justice Stephen Breyer set to retire
CBC
U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday said he plans to name a replacement for retiring Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer by the end of February and reiterated his intention to nominate a Black woman to serve on the highest U.S. judicial body.
"This is a bittersweet day for me," Biden said during an appearance with the justice at the White House, noting that he has known Breyer since the 1970s.
"I'm here today to express a nation's gratitude to Justice Stephen Breyer for his remarkable career in public service," the president said.
Breyer formally announced his retirement in a letter to Biden made public on Thursday, saying he plans to depart at the conclusion of the Supreme Court's current term, typically at the end of June, assuming his successor has been confirmed by the Senate. Lawmakers disclosed his retirement on Wednesday.
"It's my intention to announce my decision by the end of February," Biden said, noting that though he had made no decision yet, his choice would be the first Black woman ever nominated to the Supreme Court. "It's long overdue in my opinion."
Breyer's retirement after 27 years gives Biden his first chance to fill a vacancy on the nine-member court, but the move won't change its ideological balance. The court's 6-3 conservative majority has shown an increasing willingness to reshape the law on contentious issues including abortion and gun rights.
Biden's Republican predecessor Donald Trump appointed three justices during his single four-year term in office.
"I enormously appreciate the privilege of serving as part of the federal judicial system," Breyer wrote in the letter announcing his retirement. "Throughout, I have been aware of the great honour of participating as a judge in the effort to maintain our Constitution and the rule of law."
Democrats, who hold a razor-thin Senate majority, aim to quickly confirm Biden's pick in a time frame similar to the one-month process that the chamber's top Republican, Mitch McConnell, used in 2020 to confirm Trump's third appointee, Amy Coney Barrett, according to a source familiar with planning.
Republicans are seeking to regain control of the Senate in the Nov. 8 congressional elections, underscoring the need for speed from the perspective of Biden's party.
McConnell has indicated he would block any Biden nominations to the court if his party regains the Senate majority.
Biden as a candidate for president promised to nominate the first Black woman to fill any Supreme Court vacancy. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki on Wednesday said Biden will honour that pledge.
Potential Biden nominees include Ketanji Brown Jackson, a former Breyer law clerk who was confirmed by the Senate last June to serve on an influential U.S. appellate court, and Leondra Kruger, who serves on the California Supreme Court.
Another potential contender is Michelle Childs, a federal district court judge in South Carolina who Biden already has nominated to the U.S. appeals court in Washington.
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