The Senate confirms Ketanji Brown Jackson as the first black female judge on the Supreme Court

The Senate passed Katanji Brown Jackson’s approval in the Supreme Court on Thursday, paving the way for her to become the first black woman on the Supreme Court.

The vote was 53-47, reflecting a growing partisan division on the final confirmation of candidates for the job. Three Republicans, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkovsky and Mitt Romney, joined all members of the Democratic caucus in supporting him.

Vice President Kamala Harris led the vote, a rare event in which all members were present in their seats during the nomination. After announcing the final report, the House sparked applause. Many Republicans left the House during the cheers, but Romney stayed and cheered.

In addition to cable news networks, special reports were provided by major broadcast networks at the time. There was a moment of drama when the senators waited for Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) to show up. About 15 minutes later it finally happened.

Jackson was in the White House watching from a room in the Roosevelt vote for his name with President Joe Biden.

Although his claim was never questioned, as Democrats control the Senate, Jackson’s confirmation hearings were surprisingly controversial as Republican members of the Judiciary Committee raised questions about the juvenile pornography conviction for convicting him. The punishment is below the recommended guidelines. But Democrats called his challenge unfair and hypocritical, pointing to cases in which Republican-appointed judges handed down similarly reduced sentences in federal court.

Jackson, 51, will replace Judge Stephen Breyer, who announced in January his intention to retire at the end of his term in late June or early July.

With his presence on the pitch, the ideological makeup will not change, as he and Breyer are seen as center-left in their views. But as noted during the confirmation hearing, Jackson’s rise to the Supreme Court will be a pivotal moment in representing him on the Supreme Court. She will not only be the first black woman to serve, but she will also be the third African American on the Supreme Court, after Justices Turgud Marshall and Clarence Thomas.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called the statement “one of the greatest moments in American history.” This is a wonderful time for Justice Jackson, but it’s an even greater time for America as we move towards a more perfect union.

“It represents the arc of our history,” Senator Raphael Warnock (D-GA) said in a Senate vote ahead of the vote. He said he showed “extraordinary grace under pressure” because he noticed not only her answers to difficult questions, but also his attacks, which went “over the edge”.

During his confirmation hearing, Senator Corey Booker (D-NJ) said Jackson was part of a line of Americans who suffered injustice but still showed love for the country. He referred to the film Hidden Figures to establish that the historical achievements of women of color were often belittled or even ignored decades later.

“You encountered the insult here, which was shocking to me,” he said. “Well, that’s not really shocking. But you are here for that love. And no one will take it away from you. “

Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) said the White House withheld U.S. prison documents as well as probation documents from Jackson. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) said Jackson had “impressive academic and professional qualifications” but that he could not support her because of “how he handled the case”.

“The media spends a lot of time talking about the historic nature of this nomination, and it’s really historic,” said Marsha Blackburn (R-TN). “And Judge Jackson is well educated. He has a wonderful family. He spent time visiting us. But Blackburn said Jackson “was wrong”. “When you look at his practice of his prayers, when you look at the kindness he used, these are all matters that worry us a lot.”

“This appointment has been confirmed.

The United States Senate has affirmed Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson as an associate judge in the United States Supreme Court, 53-47.#SCOTUS confirmation #scoto pic.twitter.com/8XwQBjstUh

– CSPAN (@cspan) April 7, 2022