Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer has officially announced his retirement, and President Biden has confirmed his replacement will be a Black woman.
Breyer joined Biden at the White House on Thursday to confirm his retirement from the Supreme Court, one day after the news was widely reported. Biden said he has not yet decided on his pick to replace Breyer, but he confirmed a Black woman will be selected as his nominee.
"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 said. "It's long overdue, in my view."
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Biden previously pledged during his presidential campaign that he would name a Black woman to the Supreme Court after there was a vacancy, and some of the names experts have floated include Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, who sits on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Washington, D.C., circuit, and Leondra R. Kruger of the California Supreme Court.
Biden also offered a timetable for the process of replacing Breyer, saying he intends to name his pick by the end of February, which is Black History Month. He also noted that Vice President Kamala Harris will advise him during the selection process.
"Once I select a nominee," Biden said, "I will ask the Senate to move promptly on my choice."
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