On Friday, President Joe Biden nominated Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court, kicking off a historic confirmation process for the nation's first Black female justice.
Senate Democratic leaders aim to have a vote on Jackson's confirmation to the Supreme Court by the middle of April. Since Justice Stephen Breyer announced his retirement, Jackson, 51, has been regarded as the front-runner for the opening on DC's federal appellate court.
Biden Nominates Ketanji Brown Jackson to Supreme Court
Despite its historical significance, Jackson's appointment will have little impact on the court's ideological complexion. Six conservative justices and three liberal justices make up the present court, with departing Justice Breyer being from the liberal party. The court is already prepared to continue its rightward shift, with high-profile cases and opinions on abortion, gun control, and religious liberty concerns due in the coming months.
A senior administration source claimed Biden met with Jackson for her Supreme Court interview earlier this month, in a meeting that the White House managed to keep secret. Despite being present for DC Circuit Court proceedings Friday morning, Jackson received and accepted Biden's offer in a phone conversation Thursday night, according to a person familiar with the decision.
Given Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the White House contemplated delaying the announcement, but the person said it was necessary to move through with the second step of the confirmation process, according to CNN.
Biden argued for Jackson's nomination by pointing to her unusual qualities - she would be the high court's first former public defender - and the fact that she had previously been approved by the Senate for a federal bench, where she received Republican votes.
Biden praised his choice as a "proven consensus builder" who "understands how the law must operate for the people of the United States." On Friday, it will be two years since Biden promised to create history by appointing the first black woman to the Supreme Court. He made the promise at a debate in South Carolina for the 2020 presidential election.
Jackson's history as a public defender was hailed by liberals. Republicans reacted with caution, with the majority of GOP senators indicating they would meet with her with an open mind throughout the confirmation process.
Biden's drive to diversify the judiciary includes Jackson's nomination. His choice is unlikely to overturn the court's conservative leanings, but his emphasis on younger nominees ensures that his choice will have a lengthy impact on its judgments. Biden made the formal offer to Jackson on Thursday night, which was the first step in the process.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has vowed that the lifetime appointment to the court will be confirmed quickly. To confirm her to the bench, only a simple majority is required. Democrats now possess 50 Senate seats, with Vice President Kamala Harris serving as the tie breaker. Democrats have set a deadline of early April for ultimate confirmation, with Judiciary Committee hearings expected to begin by the end of March, as per Daily Mail.
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Is Ketanji Brown Jackson Related to Former House Speaker Paul Ryan?
In a tweet on Friday, Republican former House Speaker Paul Ryan expressed his "support" for Supreme Court candidate Ketanji Brown Jackson, to whom he is married. Despite their political differences, the former Republican congressman endorsed Jackson's character when President Joe Biden nominated her to be the first black female justice on Friday.
Jackson and Ryan have a complicated relationship because Jackson's spouse has a twin brother who is married to Ryan's sister-in-law. Ryan has been a vocal supporter of Jackson's nominations in the past. When former President Barack Obama nominated her for a seat on the US Supreme Court, she was ecstatic.
The District Court for the District of Columbia is a federal court located in Washington, DC. In 2012, at her confirmation hearing, Ryan spoke on her behalf and praised her qualifications, asking his Republican colleagues to confirm her.
Jackson was reportedly on a shortlist of candidates the White House evaluated for the position, and he has an unusual history, having served as a federal trial court judge for eight years without having previously worked as a prosecutor or for a big corporation. She also served on the DC Circuit Court of Appeals bench, where Justices Clarence Thomas and Brett Kavanaugh both worked as judges before being promoted to the Supreme Court, Washington Examiner reported.
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