Biden Nominates Ketanji Brown Jackson to Supreme Court

President Biden on Friday nominated Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court.

“I’m proud to announce that I am nominating Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to serve on the Supreme Court,” Biden said in a Twitter post. “She is one of our nation’s brightest legal minds and will be an exceptional Justice.”

Biden announced the nomination in person at a press conference at the White House on Friday afternoon.

“Today, as we watch freedom and liberty under attack abroad, I’m here to fulfill my responsibilities under the Constitution to preserve freedom and liberty here in the United States of America,” Biden said, in a reference to the ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

Biden praised Jackson as “extremely qualified, with a brilliant legal mind.”

Jackson also addressed reporters, opening her remarks by “thanking God for delivering me to this point in my professional journey.” Jackson added that among her “many blessings” was being “born in this great country. The United States of America is the greatest beacon of hope and democracy that the world has ever known.”

Biden made the final decision on Thursday night, and informed Jackson by phone, a source familiar with the matter told CNN. Jackson accepted the nomination.

The announcement came a month after Justice Stephen Breyer, one of three liberal justices on the bench, informed Biden that he intends to retire.

Biden had interviewed three finalists for the nomination, multiple outlets reported on Tuesday. Those finalists were reportedly Jackson, whom Biden appointed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit; California Supreme Court Justice Leondra Kruger; and Judge J. Michelle Childs, who has served on multiple state courts in South Carolina.

Jackson served on the U.S. Sentencing Commission before joining the federal judiciary in 2013. Last year, Biden nominated Jackson to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals to take the place of current U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland. Jackson was confirmed by a 53-44 Senate vote, with Republicans Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina voting in favor.

“Judge Jackson’s achievements are well known to the Senate Judiciary Committee as we approved her to the D.C. Circuit less than a year ago with bipartisan support,” Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Dick Durbin (D., Il.) said in a statement on Friday. “We will begin immediately to move forward on her nomination with the careful, fair, and professional approach she and America are entitled to.”

Following through on a campaign pledge, Biden promised to nominate a black woman as the next Supreme Court justice.

“The person I will nominate will be someone of extraordinary qualifications, character, experience and integrity,” Biden said at a January press conference. “And that person will be the first black woman ever nominated to the United States supreme court. It’s long overdue in my opinion.”

Breyer said that he intends to retire once the Court leaves for its summer recess, “assuming that by then my successor has been nominated and confirmed.” The confirmation of Biden’s nominee must occur within the next several months in order to meet that deadline.