Cover news reporter Yan Lei intern Luo Qiyu
On the morning of the 27th local time, 83-year-old Justice Stephen Breyer officially submitted to President Biden plans to retire during the adjournment of the Supreme Court this summer. Breyer, who is in his eighties, entered the Supreme Court as early as the Clinton administration and is now the most senior liberal justice in the U.S. judiciary.
Because Supreme Court justices are tenured, this change of office will have an impact on the rule of law in the United States for decades to come, and it is one of the most important political legacies of successive U.S. presidents.
Breyer
Biden promised to fill the vacancy with African-American women by the end of February
At the ceremony held at the White House on the 27th, President Biden expressed his appreciation for Justice Breyer's outstanding career and promised to fill the vacancy in the Supreme Court by appointing an African-American female justice at the end of February this year.
Biden noted that the selection of Supreme Court justice nominees is one of the most important constitutional responsibilities of the president of the United States. The process will be very rigorous, and he will select a candidate who is eligible to succeed Justice Breyer.
Biden emphasized: "I have been doing research to select nominees. At the moment, I haven't made any decisions except for one thing. The person I'm nominating will have some extraordinary qualifications, character, and experience to be the first African-American female justice on the U.S. Supreme Court. That's the promise I made when I ran for president, and I'm going to keep that promise. ”
In response to the question of when to announce the nominee, Biden said that he would make a final decision before the end of February this year. He said: "I have no choice at this point. Once I decide on the nominee, I will ask the Senate to act immediately. ”
While not giving more information about the candidates, Biden said he would ask senators from both parties to share their views, consult with leading legal experts, and ask Vice President Harris, who has extensive experience in the legal profession, to give advice.
Two key Democrats in the Senate expressed their position on the nominee
On the 27th local time, the two key moderate Democrats in the Senate, Manchin and Sinaimar, respectively made statements on Biden's potential justice nomination.
Under Senate rules, Supreme Court justice nominations can be passed by a "simple majority." The current 50-to-50 seat ratio between the two parties in the Senate means that Democrats must first reach a consensus within the party, and then Vice President Harris will push forward the nomination confirmation as Senate president. As a result, Manchin and Sinaema, who have opposed President Biden's Rebuilding better act and the revision of the rules of procedure, have become two "key figures" who are concerned with the approval of the justice nomination.
Manchin said he was willing to support a "more liberal-leaning candidate for justice than he is." "This does not change the factional ratio of the Supreme Court," he explained. It is more important to ensure that the nominee is fair and that the person's character can be measured. It is not difficult to be more liberal than I am, and it does not confuse me to be a man of sound thought and who insists on justice. Differences in philosophical beliefs will not prevent me from supporting a candidate. ”
Sinaema issued a statement saying she would make decisions based on three core criteria: "whether the nominee is professionally qualified, whether he believes in the role of an independent judicial system, and whether he can be trusted to faithfully interpret and uphold the rule of law."
As of the 27th, Biden's potential justice nominations have increased from the initial 2 to 8. While Biden himself reiterated his commitment to nominate an African-American woman to fill a Supreme Court vacancy, he did not disclose more information about the candidate.
White House spokesman Psaki said at the briefing that Vice President Harris will play a "central role" in determining the justice nomination, in addition to Biden's communication with other White House advisers and external professional groups.
Who will be the justice successor? Possible candidate exposure
Breyer's retirement gave Biden a valuable opportunity to nominate a liberal justice in office. Biden has repeatedly promised that he will nominate the first African-American female justice if given the chance to fill a Supreme Court vacancy. The US media sorted out some possible candidates who could become the replacement.
Jackson, 51, is considered the hottest person to replace Breyer, who was promoted to the District of Columbia Circuit court of appeals last year with bipartisan support to fill the void left by Attorney General Garland.
Jackson
Jackson has served in the District Court for the District of Columbia since 2013 and prior to that served as vice chairman of the U.S. Sentencing Commission. She graduated from Harvard Law School and served as Breyer's assistant on the Supreme Court from 1999 to 2000.
Krueger, a 45-year-old graduate of Yale Law School and a California Supreme Court justice since 2010, has served as federal deputy attorney general in bipartisan administrations and received attorney general's distinguished service awards in 2013 and 2014. Krueger also worked in private law firms and served as a clerk to stevens, a former Supreme Court justice, from 2003 to 2004.
Kruger
Healds, 55, was formally nominated by Biden earlier this month as a judge for the Washington, D.C. Circuit Court. She has been a judge in the U.S. District Court in South Carolina since 2010. Childz also served as Deputy Director of the South Carolina Department of Labor, where she graduated from the University of South Carolina School of Law.
Shields
Childz is the most favored candidate for Rep. Klein, Democrat of South Carolina. Klein is the House Democrat "number three, and his support is crucial to Biden winning the state primaries in 2020.
Jackson-Aquimi
Jackson Aquimi, 43, was also one of the first judges biden to nominate. Last June, Jackson-Aquimi was confirmed with the support of senators from both parties. Prior to that, she was a partner at a law firm in Washington, D.C. In the decade from 2010 to 2020, Jackson-Aquimi worked as a public attorney in The State of Illinois, representing more than 400 indigent clients accused of federal crimes.
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