Print History, President Biden Promises To Nominate Black Women For The U.S. Supreme Court

United States President Joe Biden. (Wikimedia Commons/The White House)

JAKARTA - U.S. President Joe Biden said Thursday he plans to nominate a black woman to replace Stephen Breyer, who retired as U.S. Supreme Court Justice, a historical first he has called for long overdue.

President Biden appeared with Breyer, whom he has known since the 1970s, at the White House after the 83-year-old judge formally announced his resignation in a letter to the president.

Breyer wrote that he plans to leave at the end of the court's current term, usually at the end of June, assuming his successor has been confirmed by the US Senate.

President Biden, who won the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination largely because of strong support from black voters, noted he was committed throughout the campaign to appoint a black woman to a high court post and would keep his word.

"Our process will be rigorous. I will choose a candidate who deserves Judge Breyer's legacy of excellence and decency," Biden said, calling the selection of chief justices one of the president's most serious constitutional responsibilities.

"While I studied the candidate's background and writing, I made no decision except for one; the person I nominated was someone with exceptional qualifications, character, experience and integrity, with that person going to be the first black woman ever to be nominated to the Supreme Court. United States. This is long overdue, I think," said President Biden.

Those who stand a chance of being elected include Ketanji Brown Jackson, a former Breyer attorney who was confirmed by the Senate last June to serve on the influential US appeals court. As well as Leondra Kruger, who serves on the California Supreme Court. Another potential contender is Michelle Childs, a federal district court judge in South Carolina who President Biden has nominated to the US appeals court in Washington.

Meanwhile, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said President Biden believes being a serving judge is not a prerequisite for his nominee. And whether a candidate can attract Republican support is not a factor.

President Biden has said he wants the Senate, which is controlled by his fellow Democrats by a narrow margin, to "move immediately" once he chooses his nominee. Democrats were able to confirm the nominee without a single Republican vote, as Republicans in 2017 changed Senate rules to no longer require 60 out of 100 senators to allow a Supreme Court nomination to run.

While Breyer's retirement after 27 years gives President Biden his first chance to fill a vacancy in the nine-member court, it will not change his ideological balance. The conservative majority of the 6-3 court has shown a growing desire to reshape the law on controversial issues, including abortion and gun rights.

President Biden's Republican predecessor, Donald Trump, appointed three chief justices during a four-year term that lasts only one term.

Breyer, the court's oldest judge, often finds himself in dissent in a court that has moved in the right direction. He spoke at the White House about the importance of a country as diverse as the United States, resolving deep divisions by adhering to the rule of law.

"People have come to accept this Constitution and they have accepted the importance of the rule of law," said Breyer, holding a copy of the 18th century basic document in his hand.

White House officials hope to begin reaching out and potentially meeting with candidates as early as next week, according to sources familiar with the situation. President Biden is expected to work with lists of 10 or less.

Meanwhile, Senate Democrats aim to quickly confirm the nominee for President Biden within a time frame similar to the one-month process used by Republican Mitch McConnell in 2020 to approve Trump's third appointment, Amy Coney Barrett, according to sources familiar with the planning.

Republicans are seeking to regain control of the Senate in the November 8 congressional election, underscoring the need for speed from a Democrat's perspective. McConnell has indicated he will block President Biden's candidacy to court if his party regains a Senate majority.

"The president must not outsource this important decision to the radical left. The American people deserve a candidate with demonstrated respect for the written text of our laws and our Constitution," McConnell said in a statement.

On this occasion President Biden expressed the country's gratitude to him for his career and dedication to bringing about justice in the public service" and noted past decisions made by justice to uphold abortion rights, the right to vote, environmental action and religious freedom.

"This is a bitter day for me. I think he is a model of public service in a time of great division in this country," he said.