Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer has revealed his plans to retire this summer, at the end of the Court's current term.
Lawmakers were quick to react to the news, with Democrats tweeting that President Biden make good on his promise to pick a black woman to replace Breyer.
The White House has not released a statement, but Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has responded, praising Breyer for his service while vowing that Biden's eventually nominee will be confirmed with “all deliberate speed.”
Here's Schumer's full statement:
“For virtually his entire adult life, including a quarter century on the U.S. Supreme Court, Stephen Breyer has served his country with the highest possible distinction. He is, and always has been, a model jurist. He embodies the best qualities and highest ideals of American justice: knowledge, wisdom, fairness, humility, restraint. His work and his decisions as an Associate Justice on the biggest issues of our time – including voting rights, the environment, women's reproductive freedom, and most recently, health care and the Affordable Care Act – were hugely consequential. America owes Justice Breyer an enormous debt of gratitude.
“President Biden's nominee will receive a prompt hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee, and will be considered and confirmed by the full United States Senate with all deliberate speed.”
Breyer, who is 83, has been the subject of rampant speculation about his retirement. Liberal activists were calling for the justice to retire soon after Biden was inaugurated.
Breyer was appointed by former President Bill Clinton, a Democrat. Breyer's replacement will need to be confirmed by the Senate, which is currently split 50-50 between Democrats and Republicans, with Democrats technically holding the majority because Vice President Harris can break ties.
…
Republican activists, meanwhile, already appear to be gearing up to oppose Biden's eventual pick.
“The Left bullied Justice Breyer into retirement and now it will demand a justice who rubber stamps its liberal political agenda,” Judicial Crisis Network President Carrie Severino tweeted. “And that's what the Democrats will give them, because they're beholden to the dark money supporters who helped elect them.”
The blacks already have their diversity on the court. One out of nine pretty well does the job. After all, they only make up 13% of the population, thank God for that. Sadly they’ll be able to fill that slot because it will come before the midterm elections. Too bad there isn’t some way to block that from happening. Oh well, that’s politics.
How about not discriminating. Just nominate the BEST QUALIFIED person to the court. Biden’s statement automatically excludes all males, Caucasions, Latinos, and Asians from consideration. This is discrimination at it’s worst. And all those who support his statement are just as bad