Stephen Breyer news - latest: Biden stands by Black woman justice pledge as party outlines one month timetable

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President Joe Biden speaks to reporters about Judge Breyer retiring

Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer is expected to announce his retirement as soon as Thursday, NBC News reported. This gives President Joe Biden an opportunity to replace one of the court’s three Democrat appointees and bolster the court’s liberal wing.

Democrats hoped Mr Breyer, who is 83 years old, would retire while they hold the majority in the Senate before the 2022 midterm elections, since Republicans are expected to win the majority.

In response to shouted questions from the press, President Joe Biden said: “Every justice has the right to decide what he or she is going to do and announce it on their own... There has been no announcement from Justice Breyer. Let him make whatever statement he’s going to make and I’ll be happy to talk about later.”

The White House says the president will stick by his commitment to nominate a Black woman to the court, and Senate Majority Leader Schumer will seek a quick one-month turnaround on the appointment.

[26 January 2022 22:11 · Oliver O'Connell]

Could Merrick Garland’s replacement be Joe Biden’s first Supreme Court pick?

Ketanji Brown Jackson would be the first Black woman on the Supreme Court. Andrew Feinberg reports from Washington, DC.

[26 January 2022 22:00 · Oliver O'Connell]

Supreme Court nominees exempt from White House visitor log transparency

CNN’s Kaitlin Collins notes a slight caveat regarding the public release of White House visitor logs.

Under the Trump presidency, visitor logs were not made public. In a move towards improved transparency, they have once again been released since Joe Biden took office.

However, there are some exceptions to the rule where a meeting might be particularly sensitive, and this includes potential Supreme Court nominees.

[26 January 2022 21:52 · Oliver O'Connell]

Trump fundraising off Breyer retirement reports

Former President Donald Trump’s joint fundraising committee is fundraising off of reports of Justice Stephen Breyer’s retirement.

There is a pledge of a “5X-IMPACT” to donors who contribute following the news.

[26 January 2022 21:42 · Oliver O'Connell]

Senator Padilla hopes to confirm candidate who represents diversity

Senator Alex Padilla of California, one of the Democratic members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, tweets: “Thank you Justice Breyer for a lifelong career of standing up for equal justice under law. I look forward to working with my colleagues to swiftly confirm a qualified nominee who represents our country’s incredible diversity and will uphold the principles of our Constitution.”

[26 January 2022 21:30 · Oliver O'Connell]

Democrats want swift confirmation of Breyer replacement

Senate Democrats who have played defense for the last three Supreme Court vacancies plan to move swiftly to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, using the rapid 2020 confirmation of Justice Amy Coney Barrett as a new standard.

Justice Barrett was confirmed exactly a month after then-President Donald Trump nominated her to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg — and just five weeks after Ginsburg’s death in September of that year. Democrats sharply criticised that timeline then, arguing that most confirmations had taken much longer and that Republicans were trying to jam the nomination through in case Trump lost reelection.

But now that they hold the presidency and the Senate, though just barely, Democrats navigating the complicated politics of a 50-50 chamber are eyeing a similarly swift schedule, even if Breyer does not officially step down until the summer.

AP

[26 January 2022 21:23 · Oliver O'Connell]

Senators Sinema and Manchin both voted for Biden judicial nominees

While Democrat Senators Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema may have been thorns in the side of President Joe Biden’s domestic agenda in the Senate, they have both consistently voted for his judicial nominations.

Both voted to confirm DC Circuit Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson in 2021.

[26 January 2022 21:17 · Oliver O'Connell]

Manchin says he takes responsibilities on Supreme Court nominations seriously

West Virginia Democratic Senator Joe Manchin wish Justice Breyer a happy retirement, adding: “I take my Constitutional responsibility to advise and consent on a nominee to the Supreme Court very seriously. I look forward to meeting with and evaluating the qualifications of President Biden’s nominee to fill this Supreme Court vacancy.”

[26 January 2022 21:10 · Oliver O'Connell]

McConnell will weigh in later

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is not saying much about the news of Justice Breyer’s retirement.

He told reporters in Kentucky that he will weigh in on the topic when the retirement is officially announced.

[26 January 2022 21:03 · Oliver O'Connell]

Elizabeth Warren ‘delighted’ Biden will stand by pledge

Appearing on MSNBC on Wednesday afternoon, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren said she is “delighted” that President Joe Biden is standing by his pledge to nominate a Black woman to the Supreme Court.

[26 January 2022 20:55 · Oliver O'Connell]

Breyer ‘surprised’ by today’s events

Justice Breyer had decided by himself to retire and an announcement was due soon, but reports say someone jumped the gun and he was surprised by how today played out.