President Joe Biden’s Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson was confirmed by the US Senate on Thursday, paving the door for her to become the first Black woman to serve on the nation’s highest court.
Republicans Susan Collins of Maine, Mitt Romney of Utah, and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska joined Democrats in voting for the bill, which passed 53-47.
The confirmation is a huge triumph for Democrats, which they can claim as nonpartisan, and a chance for the President to follow through on a campaign pledge at a time when the US is facing a number of domestic and international issues, including soaring inflation and the Ukraine crisis. When the vote was givenled, Democrats erupted in cheers and applause.
The decision is also a watershed moment for the Supreme Court and the federal courts, while Jackson’s confirmation will have no impact on the court’s ideological balance.
In her capacity as Senate president, Vice President Kamala Harris, the first Black woman to serve as vice president, presided over the chamber during the historic vote.
After Justice Stephen Breyer retires this summer, Jackson will be sworn in.
The nomination’s historic significance has been repeatedly emphasized by Senate Democrats and the White House.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer described the vote as a “joyous, monumental, groundbreaking day” before of the final vote.
“Never, never has a Black woman held the position of Justice in the 233-year history of the Supreme Court,” Schumer continued. Ketanji Brown Jackson will be the first, and I believe he will be the first of many.
During his 2020 presidential campaign, Biden stated that if elected, he will nominate a Black woman to the Supreme Court.
Jackson grew noticeably upset during her Senate confirmation hearings, wiping away tears when Democratic Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey, one of only three Black senators, spoke about her road to the nomination and the difficulties she had to face.
“My parents grew up at a time in this country when Black and White students were not permitted to attend the same school,” Jackson said Booker after the senator inquired about the ideals instilled in her by her parents. “They instilled in me the value of hard labor.” They instilled in me the ability to persevere. They told me that in this beautiful country, anything is possible.”
For the historic vote, the Senate chamber was filled, with most senators seated at their desks.
As a result, the vote moved rapidly at first, but was later postponed when it became evident that Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky was the sole senator who had not voted. Before it was gaveled closed, the chamber waited for him to arrive and vote.
While the chamber awaited Paul’s arrival, lawmakers and those in the gallery became agitated. A number of members of the Congressional Black Caucus who had traveled over from the House to watch the vote began conversing with several Democratic senators.
