Biden's Plan to Nominate the First Black Woman to the Supreme Court

At the start of Joe Biden's presidency, he made a vow to nominate the nation’s first black woman to the Supreme Court Justice. As of January 27, 2022, Biden reiterated his vow by speaking on this subject. “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, on CNN Politics. 

Justice Stephen Breyer declared on January 27, 2022, that he would be retiring from the Supreme Court after serving more than two decades. "I have found the work challenging and meaningful. My relations with each of my colleagues have been warm and friendly," Breyer states to ABC News.

Biden injected that this idea would be a bittersweet as their friendship goes 40 years back.  Biden also expressed all that Breyer has done for this country as a whole. This includes an exceptional career in public service and an immense commitment to making the law of the country work in the citizen’s favor. His career first began in his teenage years when he made the brave decision to join the United States Army. Following this, he then worked in all three branches of the government before taking his seat in the Supreme Court.  Breyer was appointed by former President Bill Clinton as an Official Justice on August 3, 1994, at 56 years old. Now being 83 years old going on 84 in August he decided it was time to take a step back leaving a spot open for a new Supreme Court Justice. 

This open seat in the Supreme Court Justice is to be filled by a black woman who will be the first one on the supreme court. Biden plans to announce who he will appoint by the end of February. He mentioned that Kamala Harris will play an important role in the decision. As well as both Republican and Democrat senators. "I'm going to invite senators from both parties to offer their ideas and points of view," Biden stated on ABC news. 

Breyer fulling out his term and at the same time leaving before the midterm elections allows for Biden to appoint a successor while Democrats still control the senate. Democrats can now pass Biden’s applicant without regard to the Republican’s vote. This is a consequence to Mitch McConnell, as in 2017 a rule change was placed upon which lowered the votes from 60 to 51. “McConnell said last year that the GOP may try to block a Democratic nominee to the court if Republicans won control of the Senate in November and a vacancy occurred in 2023 or 2024.” Said ABC News. This is why it is important for Stephen Breyer to retire now since the Democrats control the Senate. 

However, even with all of this news concerning the new Democratic Supreme Court Justice, the ratio from liberals to conservatives in the court will not change. It is 6-3 with a majority of conservatives.