The President of the United States will nominate a Black woman as a judge to the Supreme Court for the first time in history, filling the vacancy left by the retiring Justice Stephen Breyer. Addressing reporters at the White House president Joe Biden said, “I’ve made no decision except (the) person I will nominate will be someone with extraordinary qualifications, character, experience and integrity, and that person will be the first Black woman ever nominated to the United States Supreme Court.”
Biden was speaking at a podium alongside the retiring judge Stephen Breyer. The president also indicated that the process of nomination will be speedy and the name of the judge will be announced soon, somewhere in March. Biden had a wonderful opportunity to name a replacement for justice Stephen Breyer while his own Democratic Party retains control of the Senate.
The United States Supreme Court is presently split between six conservatives and three liberals judges. Biden will now be able to nominate another liberal-leaning jurist to the court, maintaining the balance.
Justice Stephen Breyer had been under pressure from liberals to leave in time for Biden to get his nominee through the Senate before November’s midterm elections when Republicans are in a strong position to win majorities in Congress and would then control the approval process.
The Supreme Court of the United States was established in 1789 by the 1st Congress through the Judiciary Act of 1789. By the Judiciary Act of 1869, the Court consists of the chief justice and eight associate justices. Each justice has lifetime tenure, meaning they remain on the Court until they die, retire, resign, or are removed from office.
