that's justice jackson to you

Ketanji Brown Jackson confirmed to Supreme Court in historic vote

April 7, 2022

.polaris__post-meta--date { display: none; } .polaris__post-meta--date.no-script { display: block; padding-left: 45px } April 7, 2022

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson will officially become the first Black woman to ever serve on the U.S. Supreme Court, now that the Senate has voted to confirm her nomination 53-47, The New York Times reports Thursday.

Three GOP senators — Mitt Romney of Utah, Susan Collins of Maine, and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska — broke with their party to vote in favor of Jackson and alongside all 50 Democrats. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) cast the 51st vote.

After initially moving quickly, there was a slight delay in making the vote official due to the absence of Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) But eventually, Vice President Kamala Harris was able to confirm the news. The room erupted in applause and cheers.

History is made. Vice President Kamala Harris, the nation's first Black woman vice president, presides over the Senate as it confirms Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, 53-47, to be the nation's first Black woman Supreme Court Justice. pic.twitter.com/NAWi04NJao
— Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) April 7, 2022

Jackson and President Biden watched the vote together in the White House's Roosevelt Room.

President Biden and Ketanji Brown Jackson watched the results of her confirmation vote together at the White House in the Roosevelt Room.(The White House let still photographers in but declined entry to TV and other press/wire pool.)
— Josh Wingrove (@josh_wingrove) April 7, 2022

Biden and Ketanji Brown Jackson watched the confirmation vote results together and the photos are great, but easily the funniest one is Biden just kinda pointing at the number of yes votes on the TV screen pic.twitter.com/1vBziMupmj
— Jay Willis (@jaywillis) April 7, 2022

Technically, as pointed out by Pete Williams of NBC, Jackson will not become a justice until she has taken two required oaths of office and retiring Justice Stephen Breyer officially steps down.

Breyer is expected to step down once all the term’s decisions are announced in late June or early July- it is at that point when "Judge Jackson" will become "Justice Jackson."
— Gary Grumbach (@GaryGrumbach) April 7, 2022

"Even in the darkest times, there are bright lights," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said on the Senate floor. "Today is one of the brightest lights. Let us hope it's a metaphor, an indication of many bright lights to come."