Biden touts Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson during State of the Union
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In his first State of the Union address on Tuesday, President Biden touted his historic Supreme Court nominee, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, who if confirmed would be the first Black woman ever to sit on the nation’s highest court.
Last week, Biden formally announced Jackson as his pick to replace retiring Justice Stephen Breyer, who along with the other justices was in the audience for the president’s speech.
“Tonight, I’d like to honor someone who has dedicated his life to serve this country: Justice Stephen Breyer,” Biden said. “An Army veteran, constitutional scholar and retiring justice of the United States Supreme Court. Justice Breyer, thank you for your service.”
“No matter your ideology, one of the most serious constitutional responsibilities a president has is nominating someone to serve on the United States Supreme Court,” Biden continued. “And I did that four days ago, when I nominated Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, one of our nation’s top legal minds, who will continue Justice Breyer’s legacy of excellence.”
Biden lauded Jackson’s experience as a former federal public defender who hails from “a family of public school educators and police officers.”
The president called her a “consensus builder.”
He also touted several key endorsements she’s already received, from the Fraternal Order of Police and J. Michael Luttig, a retired federal judge who advised former Vice President Mike Pence on his role in certifying Biden’s 2020 presidential election victory.
Jackson was confirmed to her current post by the Senate in a 53-44 vote, with Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina voting in her favor.
But Graham said the nomination of Jackson to the Supreme Court “means the radical Left has won President Biden over yet again.”
According to a Yahoo News poll earlier this month, 69 percent of Americans said Jackson was qualified to sit on the court, including 57 percent of Republicans.
