United States President Joe Biden has interviewed at least three Black women for a potential Supreme Court nomination and is expected to reveal his decision by the end of this month.
The three individuals have been identified as Ketanji Brown Jackson, Leondra Kruger, and J. Michelle Childs. Many people view Jackson as the leading contender among the candidates and are currently seated on the U.S. court of appeals for the D.C. circuit. She replaced attorney general Merrick Garland in June 2021.
Biden's Supreme Court Nominee
On the other hand, Kruger is an associate justice of the California supreme court and has previously served as the acting principal deputy solicitor general during former President Barack Obama's administration.
The third candidate, Childs, is currently seated on the U.S. district court for the district of South Carolina and was previously nominated by President Biden for a seat on the D.C. circuit court of appeals.
Supreme Court Associate Justice Stephen Breyer's impending retirement has allowed President Biden the opportunity to fulfill one of his campaign promises, which was to appoint a Black woman to the Supreme Court, as per The Guardian.
The Democratic president has requested the aid of former Democratic Alabama Sen. Doug Jones for the experience he had in guiding the confirmation process. The coordination would include private meetings with senators and practice sessions known as "murder boards" that would prepare the nominee for what officials expect as tough Senate committee questioning.
According to Fox News, authorities have already set up an office space that is adjacent to the Eisenhower Executive Office Building that will become Jones' and other outside advisers' private space. Biden's nominee will also be given a suite of offices to prepare for the confirmation into the Supreme Court.
The director of the White House office of public engagement, Cedric L Richmond, told members of the organization Win With Black Women on Sunday evening that the Biden administration was "close" to choosing a nominee.
Deadline for a Choice
The official acknowledged that there will be criticisms of Biden's choice but argued that in the past decades, the majority of presidents picked close White friends for the Supreme Court. Despite dealing with rising tensions between Russia and Ukraine, Biden has set a deadline for his choice.
White House officials have also reportedly reached out to liberal groups to inform them that the U.S. president will not be shifting from his timeline. The Democrat also urged them to support "top tier" candidates despite attacks from critics.
A White House spokesperson, Andrews Bates, released a statement on Tuesday saying that Biden has not yet finalized his decision. He said that the president continues to evaluate eminently qualified individuals who share Breyer's convictions. Biden is said to be looking at the strongest records, intellect, character, and dedication to the rule of law that anyone could ask for in a justice.
Bates said that Biden believed all of the candidates he had been interviewing had these qualities and that the president was looking forward to announcing a nominee later this month, the New York Times reported.
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