WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden will formally announce U.S. Circuit Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson as his choice for a seat on the Supreme Court at the White House on Friday, marking the first time in history a Black woman has been named to the nation’s highest court.
The nomination, Biden’s first, will set off a frenzy of activity in the Senate, where Democrats have said they hope to use their thin majority to move to a final vote by early April. If confirmed, Jackson would replace Associate Justice Stephen Breyerwho announced he intends to withdraw in June.
Jackson, 51, serves on the federal appeals court in Washington, DC A former Breyer clerk, she was confirmed by the Senate last year for the appeals court.
First Black woman:Biden to nominate Ketanji Brown Jackson to Supreme Court
Pioneers:For Black women judges like Jackson, blazing a trail has meant scrutiny
Lindsey Graham slams Jackson pick after pushing for different nominee
Sen. Lindsey Graham, RS.C., slammed Biden’s nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, saying it “means the radical left has won President Biden over yet again.”
In the past, Graham broke party ranks and voted for Supreme Court nominees of President Barack Obama, including Associate Justices Elena Kegan and Sonia Sotomayor. But his reaction to him suggests he wo n’t support Jackson’s confirmation as Biden seeks bipartisan support in the Senate.
Graham, who serves on the Senate Judiciary Committee, had publicly lobbied for US District Judge J. Michelle Childs for the nomination, a candidate who was also supported by Rep. Jim Clyburn, DS.C. Graham was one of three Republicans who voted for Jackson’s confirmation to the DC Circuit last year.
“The attacks by the Left on Judge Childs from South Carolina apparently worked,” Graham wrote on Twitter.
– Joey Garrison
Pick named on vow’s anniversary
There is a symmetry to the timing of Biden’s announcement: Friday marked the two-year anniversary of his pledge to nominate the first Black woman to the Supreme Court.
Biden’s campaign for the Democratic nomination was struggling in February 2020. Pete Buttigieg had narrowly captured the most delegates from the Iowa caucuses. Biden placed a disappointing fifth in New Hampshire. The future president announced his promise to choose an African American woman for the high court for the first time on the debate stage, four days before the South Carolina primary.
“Everyone – and no one’s better than me and I’m no better than anyone else. The fact is, what we should be doing – we talked about the Supreme Court,” Biden said in response to a question about the biggest misconception voters had about him. “I’m looking forward to making sure there’s a black woman on the Supreme Court, to make sure we in fact get every representation.”
The promise received little attention at the time. But Democrats said it resonated with Black voters there and probably contributed to his win for him in the state – fueling his path to the nomination and the White House. It also helped secure a critical endorsement of South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn, the No. 3 Democrat in the House.
– John Fritz
Americans support diversity on court
Biden’s announcement marks the first time a Black woman has ever been named to the Supreme Court. If Jackson is confirmed, it will also be the first time two African Americans serve on the high court together. And the first time four women will occupy the nation’s highest bench at the same time.
A new USA TODAY/Suffolk poll shows that Americans broadly favor diversity on the court but disagree about how significant a factor it should be for presidents.
A third of Americans say diversity on the high court should be “an important factor” for presidents to consider when choosing nominees while another 11% say it should be the main factor, according to the poll of 1,000 likely voters, conducted Feb. 15- twenty. Twenty-nine percent said diversity should be “just one of many factors” considered.
Just more than two in 10 Americans said diversity shouldn’t be a factor at all.
Poll:Majority of Americans say diversity should be a factor for Supreme Court
– John Fritz
Tricky timing for Biden on SCOTUS
It was supposed to be a reset for the Biden administration, a historic celebration of the first Black woman ever to be nominated to the Supreme Court.
But Russian President Vladimir Putin had other plans.
Normally a Supreme Court nominee offers a White House a news cycle of solidly positive news. But the developing situation in Ukraine is likely to distract attention from Biden’s pick, and some had speculated the president might even reschedule it.
But White House officials stressed for days that the president wasn’t going to move his timeline and he had already set a deadline: The end of February. Biden was interviewing candidates for the post even as the situation in Europe deteriorated.
One timing advantage Biden still has – and what may have driven the decision not to postpone: The State of the Union address on Tuesday. That high-profile address will give Biden a high-profile opportunity to out his pick of her to two audiences: The nation, and the Senate, which now takes up the task of considering her confirmation of her.
– John Fritz
www.usatoday.com
George is Digismak’s reported cum editor with 13 years of experience in Journalism