President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are celebrating Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s confirmation to the Supreme Court Friday at the White House. The president, vice president and Jackson are delivering remarks on the South Lawn.
“President George Washington once referred to America as a great experiment, a nation founded on the previously untested belief that the people — we, the people — could form a more perfect union,” Harris said. “And that belief has pushed our nation forward for generations. And it is that belief that we reaffirmed yesterday — through the confirmation of the first Black woman to the United States Supreme Court.”
“About time,” Mr. Biden chimed in from the stage.
Jackson was confirmed 53-47 on Thursday, with three Republicans joining Democrats. She will be not sworn in immediately, since Justice Stephen Breyer is expected to finish out the remainder of the Supreme Court term this summer before he retires. Mr. Biden said Friday that nominating a Black woman to the highest court was one of the first decisions he made as a presidential candidate, but he knew the confirmation process would be brutal.
“I could see it — I could see it as a day of hope, a day of promise, a day of progress,” he said. “A day when once again, the moral arch of the universe, as Barack used to quote all the time, bends a little more towards justice. I knew it wouldn’t be easy. I knew the person I nominated would be put through a painful and difficult confirmation process. But I have to tell you, what Judge Jackson was put through was well beyond that.”
Jackson’s family, senators who voted for her, Cabinet members, and key leaders in the House are in attendance. Mr. Biden took time to recognize Jackson’s parents, who grew up in segregated schools, and on Thursday, watched their daughter confirmed as the first Black woman on the Supreme Court.
On Thursday, Harris, the first woman and first woman of color to be vice president, presided over the Senate during the vote to confirm the first Black woman to the court.
On Friday, the president particularly thanked the three Republicans who voted for Jackson, saying they deserve “enormous credit” for setting aside partisanship. GOP Senators Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins and Mitt Romney voted for her confirmation.
“I truly admire and respect the diligence and hard work they demonstrated in the course of the process,” Mr. Biden said.
Jackson’s appointment to the high court as the nation’s 116th justice is likely to be a significant component of Mr. Biden’s legacy and marked his first opportunity to make his imprint on the high court.
“Judge Jackson’s confirmation was a historic moment for our nation,” Mr. Biden tweeted after the Senate vote. “We’ve taken another step toward making our highest court reflect the diversity of America. She will be an incredible Justice, and I was honored to share this moment with her.”
