(Washington, DC) — Federal Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson will be the first Black woman to ever serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. The Senate confirmed Jackson to the nation’s highest court with the support of all Democrats and a handful of Republicans. The vote was 53-47. Vice President Harris presided over the final vote call. President Biden nominated Jackson to replace retiring liberal Justice Stephen Breyer.
Justice Breyer will step down at the end of the Supreme Court’s current term this summer. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Jackson is an historic and inspiring pick. He also called her highly qualified and brilliant. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell labeled Jackson a liberal judicial activist and suggested she has gone “soft on crime.” He also defended the treatment of Jackson by Republicans, saying no federal confirmation process should be a “cakewalk.”
